NATIONAL
Power tariffs stay unchanged for now as government struggles with rising debt and subsidy costs
Power tariffs remain unchanged as the government delays hikes amid rising subsidy costs, widening deficits and persistently high system losses.
ASIF MUSTAFA
BIONIC READING
In a Nutshell:
- Power Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku says the government does not want to raise electricity tariffs right now.
- But the numbers behind the sector still look rough, with big subsidy pressure and a widening deficit risk.
- Officials say system loss remains too high and private generation costs continue to weigh on the sector.
- That means the question is not gone. It is just being delayed.
Why it Matters
This is a classic government headache. Nobody wants to raise power prices because the public feels it immediately. But the cost of not raising them does not disappear. It piles up somewhere else, usually in the form of subsidies, deficits, and mounting pressure inside the system. The latest debate shows the government is still trying to buy time instead of passing the cost straight to consumers.