KCCI president states that the proposed amendments successfully strike on the basis of regulatory independence
KARACHI:
Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Trade (KCCI) performing President Muhammad Raza has expressed robust opposition to proposed amendments to the Nepra Act, 1997 and the Electrical energy Act, 1910, which point out that the Nationwide Electrical Energy Regulatory Authority could also be positioned beneath the executive management of the Energy Division.
Raza said that the proposed amendments successfully strike on the very basis of regulatory independence, which is a universally accepted precept for guaranteeing transparency, predictability and credibility in utility regulation. He cautioned that inserting Nepra beneath the direct affect of an govt ministry would compromise its capacity to make neutral, technically sound and cost-reflective choices, thereby weakening confidence in Pakistan’s energy sector governance framework.
He identified that unbiased regulators are established exactly to behave as impartial arbiters between the federal government, utilities, buyers and customers. Any transfer that transforms Nepra right into a subordinate physique of the Energy Division wouldn’t solely undermine its authority but additionally elevate considerations concerning the politicisation of tariff determinations and regulatory choices.
