Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has said that the Government was striving hard to resolve the country’s energy challenges.
Addressing a ceremony in connection with provision of RLNG gas connections to consumers in his native constituency Narowal, he said the government is also making efforts to further bring down the prices of electricity as the economy stabilizes.
The present government needs to be appreciated for taking practical measures to reduce the prices of electricity and lift the ban on provision of new gas connections throughout the country. However, the steps so far taken are not enough to provide the needed relief to people and stimulate the economy as prices of both electricity and gas are deeply linked to the volatility of oil prices in the international market. The government is always quick in transferring the difference in international and local prices to the consumers but becomes miser when relief is due. There are many ifs and buts when it comes to the issue of reducing prices of electricity but the burden of the consumer can be mitigated remarkably if the oppressive and exploitative slab system is done away. The Government is also interfering with the right of the people to opt for solar power through jaundiced policies like the proposal to offer just Rs. 10 for the solar power sent from a rooftop to the national grid, increase in import duty on solar panels and the unilateral decision to replace existing green meters with AMR devices at a cost of Rs. 52,000. Similarly, there is hardly any justification for continuation of the slab system for consumers who will get gas on RLNG rates.
