April 29: Manufacturing industries have received Rs 2.25 billion rebate on electricity demand charge during the lockdown period. The government had decided to exempt 58 types of manufacturing industries from electricity demand charges for the lockdown period (March 2020 to mid-July 2020).
NEA Executive Director Hitendra Dev Shakya confirmed the decision taken by the government.
"Even though a decision was taken in this regard earlier, it was not clear how much the amount should be waived. We have identified the industries from all the distribution centers and collected the required details from them,” he said.
A rebate of Rs 2.25 billion will be made.
He said that work has also been started to adjust the rebate amount received by the industries. NEA has also written to the Ministry of Finance to reimburse the amount equal to the exemption given in the electricity demand fee.

Executive Director Shakya said that a letter has been sent to the Ministry of Finance to reimburse the amount. He said that the amount will be paid after the completion of the necessary process.
The government had decided in the current fiscal year’s budget to give exemption in electricity demand fee to manufacturing industries affected by coronavirus and lockdown. Accordingly, the government has to pay the amount equal to the exemption to the NEA.
The government had imposed a nationwide lockdown for about four months from March 2020 to prevent coronavirus infection. As a result, manufacturing industries along with other sectors were affected. After that, the government had decided last year to waive the electricity demand fee as per the demand of the industrialists.
The list of 58 types of manufacturing industries includes cement, plastic goods, non-organic fertilizers, sugar, lubricants, sugarcane, rice mills, oil mills, pulses mills, juice mills, grain producers, and liquor, ayurvedic medicine, spirits, cigarettes, candles, and incense sticks, foam, leather, printing presses, water processing and bitumen, and plywood industries.
The government had decided in last February to waive electricity demand charges for the tourism sector and hotel industry as well.
However, it is not yet clear how much amount will be exempted. NEA Executive Director Shakya said that necessary details are being collected for this.
"Distribution centers are now working to identify such customers and collect necessary details from them. After that, the process of waiving the demand fee and reimbursing the amount from the government will be initiated,” he said.