The caretaker government in Islamabad has made a significant decisionregarding the allocation for Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in thebudget, intending to alleviate the burden of electricity bills. This moveis based on information from sources within the Finance Ministry.
In its discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), thegovernment has proposed a fresh relief plan for electricity bills, asdisclosed by sources within the Ministry of Finance. This plan entails theutilization of over 15 billion rupees originally designated for IPPs toprovide relief for the high electricity bills.
Sources indicate that the Finance Ministry has sent the new proposal forelectricity bill relief to the IMF. In the current fiscal year’s budget, anadditional allocation of over 15 billion rupees was made for payments toIPPs, which can now be adjusted to offer relief on these bills. It has beenclarified that this sum of over 15 billion rupees will be allocated to IPPsonce the installments of bills have been recovered.
Furthermore, officials from the Finance Ministry will engage indiscussions with the IMF regarding this new plan, assuring the lender thatrelief will be provided without exceeding the budget parameters.
Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, on Monday, expressed his government’scommitment to exploring realistic and innovative solutions to address theconcerns of electricity consumers. He emphasized the importance of makinginformed decisions to appease consumers while upholding the country’scommitments to international financial institutions.
Read Top Stories
PM Kakar acknowledged issues such as circular debt, power theft, andtaxes, stating that the government would introduce short-term solutions toaddress these matters without disregarding the grievances of the people.
The recent nationwide protests against inflated power bills, extendingfrom Karachi to Khyber, have garnered attention. Protests in certainregions have escalated into violence, with demonstrators demanding an endto the provision of free electricity to prominent individuals and seekingrelief from bills that exceed their salaries.
