Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) has urged all concerned to resolve the long-standing dispute over the payment of electricity supplied to different industrial units through dedicated feeders and trunk lines.
“The frequent power cuts to industries due to this dispute have not only disrupted production but are also sending negative signals to potential investors,” the FNCCI warned in a statement issued on Friday. “We call for the immediate restoration of power to affected industries and strongly recommend all parties to seek resolution through dialogue rather than resorting to power cuts.”
The FNCCI’s reaction came after the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) cut power supplies to dozens of industries for not clearing their outstanding electricity bills.
There are disagreements between NEA and the industrialists regarding the consumption of electricity supplied through dedicated feeders and trunk lines and billing methods. The industrialists have expressed willingness to pay additional electricity tariffs based on verified consumption evidence, FNCCI said. NEA, however, has been unable to provide their industries evidence of electricity consumed by them.
Earlier, a commission headed by former Supreme Court Justice Girish Chandra Lal was formed to resolve the dedicated feeder and trunk line dispute. However, the recommendations made in the commission’s report have not been implemented.
The FNCCI has appealed to the government and concerned authorities to immediately restore power to all disconnected industries, take the initiative to permanently resolve the dispute based on the Lal Commission’s recommendations and establish a dialogue mechanism involving all stakeholders.
