Kathmandu: In line with a decision made on November 8, the Ministry of Finance has instructed the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to take prompt action in settling outstanding dues related to electricity tariffs for street lamps owed by various local governments.
The directive emphasizes the Finance Ministry’s commitment to addressing the issue of unpaid electricity dues, particularly those associated with street lighting.
The NEA is tasked with clearing the dues directly from the respective local government offices, following the Ministry’s decision.
As of mid-July, the outstanding dues from 331 local governments for street lamp electricity tariffs have accumulated to Rs 6.08 billion.
A substantial portion of these dues has accrued post the fiscal year 2074 BS.
The NEA had previously proposed a resolution to reconcile the unpaid tariffs through its third financial restructuring plan, suggesting the incorporation of the dues into the government’s account.
However, the Finance Ministry rejected this proposal, opting instead for the NEA to pursue direct collection from the local offices. NEA Managing Director Kulman Ghising affirmed, “We have proceeded with the clearance of dues accordingly.”
In response to the Ministry’s directive, the NEA issued a public notice on October 8, urging payment of street lamp dues within the next 45 days.
Subsequently, on November 22, another public notice was released, specifically calling on local governments to settle their outstanding payments.