Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that it is the coalition government’s agenda to reduce electricity bills, stressing that it should not be politicised as protests continue in different parts of the country against high cost of power.
The premier, while chairing a cabinet meeting in Islamabad on Friday, said that politics on electricity issue was tantamount to insulting people.
“We do not believe in politics for the sake of politics,” he added.
Protesters, who have taken to the streets, are demanding the government to withdraw taxes imposed on power consumption which have triggered a massive hike in bills, exacerbating the suffering of consumers, particularly those from the low and middle-income class.
The premier said the government is aware of the tax on the salaried class.
“We have provided Rs50 billion for July, August and September,” he said, adding that the government has reduced per unit electricity cost by Rs8.5 for industries.
He maintained that his administration protected consumers using up to 200 electricity units, following its concern for the salaried class.
Shehbaz added that while some taxes are perfectly legitimate, it is not right to impose more taxes on taxpayers.
While the Shehbaz-led government has held negotiations with the protest leaders, no indication has been given with regard to their demand being accepted.
In his remarks at a Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister highlighted the need to lower electricity prices to boost Pakistan’s exports.
He noted that both the agricultural and industrial sectors would struggle to expand without a reduction in electricity costs, stressing that competitiveness in industry was closely tied to lower energy prices.
He urged the government to address inefficiencies and corruption within the Federal Board of Revenue and the Energy Sector to set the country on a better path. He assured that the government was fully aware of the people’s problems and was working tirelessly to address them.
Recalling the PML-N’s past achievements, PM Shehbaz noted that his government had resolved the issue of 20-hour daily load-shedding.
He praised China for investing in Pakistan’s electricity production 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 per cent, crediting Nawaz Sharif for these initiatives.
The Prime Minister instructed ministers and officials to inform the public about the PML-N government’s efforts to eliminate load-shedding.
Additionally, Sharif highlighted collective efforts to combat electricity theft, praising the interim government, the Sindh and Punjab governments, and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir for their dedication.
He acknowledged ongoing issues with Independent Power Producers but stated that the government was committed to resolving these challenges, although not overnight.
