Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Friday that reducing electricity prices was a top priority for the PML-N government and its allies.
He emphasized that providing relief to electricity consumers was a key agenda for PML-N Chairman Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his administration.
Addressing a cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister emphasized the need to reduce electricity prices to boost Pakistan’s exports.
He noted that both the agricultural and industrial sectors will find it difficult to expand without a reduction in electricity costs, stressing that competitiveness in industry is closely linked to lower energy prices.
Sharif criticized the politicization of electricity issues, saying it was disrespectful to the public, which was looking for solutions.
He urged the government to tackle inefficiency and corruption in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Power Sector to put the country on a better path.
He assured that the government is fully aware of the problems of the people and is working tirelessly to address them.
Recalling the past achievements of PML-N, Chief Minister Shehbaz noted that his government had resolved the issue of 20-hour daily load shedding.
He praised China for investing in Pakistan’s power generation when few others were willing to do so.
In 2015, the government established four LNG plants with a capacity of 500 MW each and a turbine efficiency of 64%, crediting Nawaz Sharif for these initiatives.
The factories, whose NEPRA tariff was $8.50, were built for just $450,000 each.
Prime Minister Shehbaz defended these deals as sincere efforts to address Pakistan’s energy crisis.
The Chief Minister directed ministers and officials to inform the public about the PML-N government’s efforts to eliminate load shedding.
He also announced a 10-day extension in electricity bill payments and a reduction in industrial electricity tariffs by Rs 8.5 per unit, with a subsidy of Rs 170 billion to the industry.
Moreover, Sharif highlighted the collective efforts to fight electricity theft, praising the caretaker government, the governments of Sindh and Punjab and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir for their commitment.
He expressed concern over the burden on the salaried class, but noted that a subsidy of Rs 50 billion has been given to consumers using up to 200 units of electricity per month.
Sharif acknowledged the ongoing problems with Independent Power Producers (IPPs), but said the government was committed to resolving these challenges, though not overnight.
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