There has been news that the industry has a pending arrears of Rs 5.48 billion. Why couldn't the authority, which collects the toll after a month's delay, cut the line even though the industrialist had so much money?
What you should know
The interim government has cut off the power supply of 25 industries for not paying their electricity bills. Will those industries pay the money after the power supply is cut? What will the businessmen do who have been refusing to pay their electricity bills despite repeated requests from the government? Isn't it completely wrong to run industries on electricity and not pay the money?
It is a political 'setting' that the industry has been able to run for so long despite not paying the electricity tariff. The previous government led by KP Oli had removed Kulman Ghising from the position of Executive Director of the Electricity Authority instead of collecting the electricity tariff. Now the same Kulman is the Minister of Energy and Water Resources.
He had given the industry a month to pay the tariff. After it failed to do so, the authority cut off the industry's line. It has been reported that the industry's outstanding arrears are Rs 5.48 billion. Why could the authority, which collects the tariff after a month's delay, not cut off the line even when the industrialists have so much money?
What is the way forward? The authority cut the line, will the industrialists pay? Industrialists are saying that we do not pay the money but are ready to hand over the keys of the company to the government. What will the government do if the industrialists hand over the keys to the government and close the company? The industrialists' statement is also wrong. Can they say that they use electricity and do not pay the arrears?
After running an industry in the country, it had to be run according to the policy, rules and laws. Another thing, the government also had to provide relief to the industrialists where it could. It had to be encouraged. In the current situation, every item has to be imported from abroad. Considering this, it is not possible to discourage industrialists in Nepal. If industrialists who invest are discouraged, they may flee abroad. The government also needs to pay attention to this. Industry cannot run in the country even by saying 'twelve percent of my cow'. Everyone should adopt flexibility. Purushottam Ghimire, Jorpati, Kathmandu
