Latest news with #337
Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
K-Electric write-offs: NEPRA allows Rs50 billion as ‘full and final claim'
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Thursday issued its decision on K-Electric's (KE) write-off petition, allowing Rs50 billion as 'full and final claim' against the company's claims worth Rs76 billion pertaining to the Multi-Year Tariff (MYT) control period spanning FY17–FY23. The authority had reserved the decision on KE's plea last month. 'The authority hereby approves Rs50,013 million on account of write-offs pertaining to the billing of MYT 2017-2023 for K-Electric as full and final claim in line with the write off criteria stipulated in the final determination against write-off claims of Rs76,033 million,' the NEPRA said in its order. Source: NEPRA 'The authority, while allowing the write-offs is conscious of the fact that all possible efforts have already been made by K-Electric, as confirmed by the auditors. 'However, in the interests of the consumers, KE is directed to continue to actively pursue the recovery of the maximum possible amount. In case a written off amount is subsequently recovered by KE, the benefit of such amount shall be passed on to the consumers in the immediate quarterly adjustments and KE shall be required to separately disclose this amount,' the order read. KE CEO draws criticism at NA committee meeting The NEPRA further said KE shall also be required to submit certificate from its auditors each year, clearly mentioning the recovery of written off amounts, if any, pertaining to MYT 2017-2023. '….out of the requested write-offs of Rs76,033 million, approximately Rs24,337 million pertains to the previous MYT period before July 1, 2016. The previous MYT was performance based and losses were to be borne by KE and gains, if any, beyond allowed limits were subject to claw back mechanism. 'The write-off mechanism in no way allow KE to claim write-off of the previous MYT. Allowing write-offs of the previous MYT will be a clear duplication of cost. Therefore, there is no justification to allow write-offs of Rs24,337 million pertaining to the previous MYT period and the same is being set aside and disallowed,' the order read. According to KE, additional claims between FY17 and FY23 were related to unrecoverable dues against chronic defaulters filed by the utility. KE is allowed to claim these costs in the Multi-Year Tariff awarded to the utility, which is independent of the rates of electricity charged to customers in monthly bills under the uniform tariff policy. 'With this decision, majority of items pending to the previous control period have come to a close. KE looks forward to the MYT for the control period spanning FY 24 to FY 30, committed to meeting its serviced territory's energy needs,' KE CEO Moonis Alvi said. During the hearings on the KE's plea, majority of the stakeholders had objected the additional and pending write-off claims. The representative of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) had raised the issue of 'bogus bills' which they said had been subsequently claimed as write-off. Representatives of the city's business communities had also raised concerns similar concerns. Net-metering in Pakistan: A solution for clean energy or a grid crisis? K-Electric filed its integrated MYT petition on March 31, 2016, requesting determination of MYT for a period of ten years commencing from July 01, 2016 to June 30, 2026. The said petition was decided by the authority, vide determination dated 20.03.2017, allowing KE a MYT for a period of seven years from July 2016 to June 2023. Privatised in 2005, KE is the only vertically integrated power utility in Pakistan supplying electricity to Karachi and its adjoining areas. The approval of the claims had been termed critical by the utility for its financial sustainability. Last month, the NEPRA approved KE's new MYT for transmission and distribution (T&D) network segments for FY2024 to FY2030 (MYT Period). Later, the authority also approved the utility's new MYT for the supply segment for the same period.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Atlanta Braves Outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. Homers in First Rehab Game
Ronald Acuña Jr. hasn't played in a Major League Baseball game in almost a whole calendar year. The Atlanta Braves rightfielder was lost for the 2024 season on May 26 of last year when he tore his right anterior cruciate ligament against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The blow was devastating for the 2023 National League Most Valuable Player and his team. The Braves had been tabbed as a potential World Series favorite, but ended up falling in the NL Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres in a two-game sweep. Advertisement Acuña's road back has been long, but on Tuesday he took a big step toward returning to the Bigs by playing in his first minor-league rehabilitation game in the Braves' Florida Complex League. And he did more than just play. Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna after hitting a home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates in May LeClaire-Imagn Images Acuña punctuated his return to the field with a home run in the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles' FCL squad. That step is the first of several the Braves will want to see from their superstar on the field as he, and they, seek a return. The organization has not provided a timetable on how long Acuña will play before being activated, though position players cannot stay on a rehab assignment for more than 20 days. Theoretically, that would set him up for a return at the beginning of June. Advertisement Acuña slashed .337/.416/.596 during his MVP season, leading the Majors with 217 hits, 73 stole bases and 149 runs. He hit 41 home runs with 106 RBI and posted an OPS + of .171. Related: Dodgers Manager Says Clayton Kershaw To Make 2025 Season Debut Related: Odd Timing for MLB's Reinstatement of Pete Rose and the Black Sox
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Braves stars Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider ramping up their injury rehabs
FILE - Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. stands in the dugout during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, on Aug. 17, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun, File) FILE - Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider (99) delivers in the first inning of baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday, April 5, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File) FILE - Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider (99) delivers in the first inning of baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday, April 5, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File) FILE - Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. stands in the dugout during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, on Aug. 17, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun, File) FILE - Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider (99) delivers in the first inning of baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday, April 5, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File) ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and right-hander Spencer Strider are taking important steps this week in their return from injuries. Acuña will begin playing with the Braves' Florida Complex League team in North Port on Tuesday. He has missed almost a full season following ACL surgery on his left knee last year. Acuña got hurt on May 26 last season and had surgery on June 6. Advertisement Braves manager Brian Snitker said before Monday night's game against Washington that Acuña will need to play in minor league games following his work in North Port. 'He's starting his march back,' Snitker said. 'It will be good to just get him running around in the outfield again and getting him at-bats.' Atlanta's offense has missed Acuña, the team's leadoff hitter and 2023 NL MVP. Entering Monday night's opener of a four-game series against the Nationals, the Braves had scored three or fewer runs in five of their last six games. Acuña was limited 49 games last season. He hit .250 with four homers in 2024, one year after hitting 41 home runs with 73 steals and a .337 batting average. Advertisement Strider will throw a simulated game in Atlanta on Wednesday. Snitker said the Braves could better control Strider's work in the simulated game than if he pitched in a minor league game. The Braves hope to have Strider throw 70 to 75 pitches in five innings. Strider made just two starts last season before UCL internal brace surgery on April 12, 2024. Strider finished fourth in 2023 NL Young Award voting and was an All-Star, going 20-5 with a 3.86 ERA and a major league-best 281 strikeouts. Strider returned from the elbow surgery when he pitched five innings in a 3-1 loss at Toronto on April 16. The right-hander was placed on the 15-day injured list on April 21 after straining his right hamstring. Advertisement 'The hamstring is good to go,' Snitker said. The Braves will be able to create situations for Strider to field bunts and cover first base in the simulated game. 'Then we'll evaluate him after that,' Snitker said, adding a minor league rehab start has not been ruled out. 'We need him to be able to go 85 pitches or maybe 90 when we decide for him to start a game,' Snitker said of Strider's return to the Atlanta rotation. ___ AP MLB:
Fox News
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
WNBA legend Diana Taurasi eats words about Caitlin Clark: 'Reality is coming to me now'
After Caitlin Clark's record-breaking rookie campaign in the WNBA, one basketball legend is owning up to her thoughts that things would have been tough for the Iowa product. Diana Taurasi, who recently announced her retirement from the WNBA after 20 illustrious seasons, was on her "Bird & Taurasi Show" with fellow WNBA star Sue Bird where she owned up to saying "reality is coming" when referring to Clark entering the league. With Clark on alongside them, Taurasi flipped the script. "Thank you, unfortunately, reality is coming to me now," Taurasi said after Clark congratulated her on retirement. It was around a year ago when Taurasi said those infamous words, basically saying that Clark will have to get used to a lot of great basketball players now after her record-breaking career with the Hawkeyes. "You look superhuman playing against 18-year-olds, but you're going to [be playing against] some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time," Taurasi said on ESPN at the time. Clark wasn't a superstar immediately, but once she got used to WNBA game speed and built some chemistry with her Indiana Fever teammates, she thrived. Clark averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game on her way to winning the KIA Rookie of the Year Award. She also finished All-WNBA First Team, as her 337 assists were the most in a single WNBA season. But Taurasi's career is what Clark is chasing now, as she is considered to be the best WNBA player of all time by many. Taurasi made 11 All-Star teams during her career, while winning three league titles with the Phoenix Mercury. Clark certainly had a hot start to her own career, but she's looking to make some championship runs in the future, and the Fever have bolstered their roster in hopes to do so. The Fever begin their 2025 WNBA season on May 17 against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
CairoScene
30-03-2025
- Science
- CairoScene
Saudis Now Make Up 93% of Workforce at Saudi Space Agency
New data from the Saudi Space Agency highlights growing national representation and a strong presence of young professionals in the sector. The Saudi Space Agency (SSA) has announced that 93% of its workforce is now composed of Saudi nationals, according to newly released employment statistics for 2024 and 2025. The agency reported a total of 337 employees across the two years, with 170 hired in 2024 and 167 in 2025. The data also shows a rising role for young professionals in the space sector. Employees between the ages of 31 and 40 account for nearly half of the agency's staff, indicating a growing reliance on youth in scientific and technical fields. Gender distribution shows that 72% of staff are male, while 28% are female. The SSA has been instrumental in facilitating Saudi participation in space missions. In 2023, it partnered with Axiom Space to send two Saudi astronauts, Ali AlQarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Axiom Mission 2. Barnawi's mission was particularly historic, as she became recognised by Guinness World Records as the first Saudi woman in space . The figures reflect the increasing localisation of expertise within Saudi Arabia's space industry and a broader shift toward cultivating specialised talent across strategic sectors.
