LESCO has sent tax-loaded electricity bills to the consumers as an Eidee. Last date for payment is June 21 even though these have been distributed on and around June 19, 2017.
The bills so issued claim to have taxes in the range of 35 to 40 per cent and the rest as the bill for actual electricity consumption. Though no explanation is forthcoming as to why “TR Surcharge”, heaviest of five taxes and surcharges besides TV fee, stand for. TR Surcharge alone accounts for almost 50 per cent of the taxes and surcharges which the consumers are forced to pay with their electricity bills.
One wonders as to who levies these taxes and surcharges on the power bills as these are not mentioned in the Finance Bill 2017 of the Federal Government. The Finance Bill is supposed to be the fountainhead of all taxes, levies and surcharges continuation during a financial year supposedly.
Whom should the recipients of taxes loaded power bills should appeal to? The prime minister is away to Saudi Arabia on a private visit to perform Umrah. Federal Minister for Water and Power is in all fairness good for nothing and can only give power supply and demand figures every now and then. The chartered accountant turned politician and Federal Finance Minister is only concerned with collecting more and more taxes before the close of the outgoing fiscal on June 30, 2017.
Will someone in the corridors of powers come to the help of the electricity consumers to at least change the last date from June 21 to June 28, 2017 if the heavy taxes and surcharges cannot be withdrawn by the peoples own elected government which claimed to present pro-poor budget ?
ABDULLAH JAN
Lahore
My own MEPCO bill carries 40% taxes, which I received here at Muzaffargarh on a holiday, last Sunday, followed by Eid holidays and its last date is 29th of June causing me a great harassment. This is for the first time that I received a physical bill. Routinely I never get a bill at my house but have to download it from Mepco website. Even at the website the bill appears only two days before the last date of payment.
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