More Than 10 Extra Taxes on Power Bills Have Broken People’s Backs, High Court Should Take Notice: Quetta Residents
Quetta — Consumers in Balochistan have expressed alarm over taxes, surcharges and extra charges on QESCO electricity bills, saying heavy bills have broken the public’s back at a time of high inflation.
Public circles said consumers already face long load-shedding, low voltage and other power problems. On top of that, they claimed, more than 10 kinds of taxes and other charges were being added to monthly bills, deepening financial hardship.
They said that besides the cost of electricity itself, various taxes and surcharges inflate even modest-use bills several times over. With inflation, unemployment and economic strain, paying large power bills has become extremely difficult for ordinary households.
Residents asked the Balochistan High Court to examine the legal basis of the taxes and extra charges, take suo motu notice and seek an explanation from QESCO officials.
They demanded that the QESCO chief be summoned and asked to provide details of all taxes, surcharges and other recoveries imposed on consumers in Balochistan, and to state which levies are collected under federal or provincial law and what legal authority exists for them.
If any tax or charge has no legal basis, they said, it should be withdrawn at once to spare the public an unnecessary burden. People in Balochistan were already facing inflation, joblessness and a lack of basic services, they added, and extra recoveries under different heads on electricity bills were becoming unbearable.
They also asked the High Court, the federal government and power authorities to give Balochistan consumers the same facilities and relief as consumers in other provinces, make a full public breakdown of all taxes and charges on bills, and end any unlawful or unjustified recovery.
