Top National Electric and Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) officials have approved a substantial salary increase without obtaining mandatory approval from the federal cabinet.
Under normal circumstances, the chairperson and members of regulatory bodies are entitled to a salary within the Management Position (MP) scale I, with a basic pay ranging from Rs 629,000 to Rs 772,780 per month. Additional allowances for house rent (Rs146,000 to Rs206,000) and utilities (Rs35,000) bring their total monthly compensation to approximately Rs800,000 to Rs1 million.
However, Nepra officials have approved a nearly threefold salary increase, bringing the chairperson’s gross salary to nearly Rs3.25 million and the salaries of other officials to around Rs2.95 million. The new salary structure includes a basic pay of Rs700,000 to Rs773,000 and a ‘regulatory allowance’ ranging from Rs631,000 to Rs700,000 per month, mirroring the judicial allowance given to judges. Additional allowances include ad hoc relief for 2023 and 2024, ranging from Rs587,000 to Rs650,000.
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Nepra officials also receive a house rent allowance of Rs176,000 to Rs206,000 and car monetisation perks of Rs96,000. The total revised remuneration package now exceeds Rs2.95 million, surpassing the salaries of some superior court judges.
Although Section 8 of the Nepra Act, 1997 outlines that the chairman and members can determine their remuneration with the approval of the Federal Government, sources claim that these revisions were made without obtaining the necessary government approval. This increase has raised concerns about discrepancies in Nepra’s remuneration compared to other regulatory bodies, which typically follow the MP scale set by the Ministry of Finance.
Despite the increase, the salary revision has drawn attention due to Nepra’s responsibility to oversee the power sector, which continues to experience growing losses and challenges.
