Nepal Electricity Authority imported electricity equivalent to 17 billion rupees from India in the last fiscal year. According to a media report, Nepal imported average 380 MW of electricity to minimize the load shedding. Nepal Electricity paid 28 billion rupees to purchase electricity.  

As NEA is planning to import more electricity from India, Nepal will pay more money to India in coming year. The Energy Minister claimed that the government was working to put an end to power cuts even in the industrial sector from this winter season.

Addressing a press meet, Energy Minister Mahendra Bahadur Shahi said they will import more electricity from India coming years to minimize the load shedding in winter.

Out of 28 billion rupees, Nepal paid 11billion rupees to import electricity from Independent Power Producers (IPPs). According to Nagrik daily, Nepal imported electricity equivalent to Rs.15 billion from the India in last fiscal years.

Kulman Ghishing, managing director of NEA, reveals that NEA imported electricity in cheaper rate. “Our loss reduce because we imported more electricity in cheaper rate,” said Ghishing.

Nepal paid Indian utilities minimum of Rs.5 to up to Rs.10 per unit. NEA pays Rs.8 per unit for IPPs. “Currently, Nepal needs to import electricity from India even to maintain baseline power. In future, our aim is to reduce import and encourage domestic production,” said MD Ghishing.