Employees in the electricity sector receive RS6,000 worth of free electricity every month, Energy Minister Awais Leghari revealed on Wednesday as the government is investigating legal opportunities to end the privilege.
In a speech with journalists in Islamabad, Leghari declared that the government is currently unable to stop free electricity to the power department and generation of corporate employees due to ongoing legal cases.
“We have approached the lawyer’s office to speed up the solution of these cases so we can stop free electricity,” he said.
Leghari suggested rising wages as a replacement for free power benefits and noted that the government is working on strategies to provide excess electricity to lower rates.
When discussing solar measurement, the minister warned that it has imposed an additional burden on RS103 billion.
“As solarization increases, the financial burden of ordinary consumers is growing as we are forced to buy expensive electricity through net measurement,” he explained.
The government, he added, aims to ensure that net measurement investors recover their costs within four years while managing the impact on general consumers.
Govt to auction surplus electricity to industries
On Tuesday, Leghari announced the government’s plan to auction surplus electricity to industries. This initiative aimed at stimulating industrial growth and creating employment opportunities was detailed in a press release by the Ministry of Energy on Tuesday.
According to the statement, Leghari emphasized that excess electricity would be made available competitively to maximize benefits for the economy and the industrial sector.
The minister also highlighted the National Electric Vehicle (EV) policy seeking to promote the adoption of electric vehicles over Pakistan.
He said that electricity stars for EV charging stations had been significantly reduced to make EVs more affordable and accessible.
This step, he said, is in line with the government’s vision of promoting sustainable energy solutions and reducing the environmental impact.
