3.5m families get power bill relief
A major problem, which is not specific to the IPPs, is the amount of taxes and surcharges that consumers pay on electricity bills, which now constitute up to 33% of the bills. photo: file
Relief in bills has been provided to over 3.5 million consumers of the Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Islamabad electricity companies.
Punjab's Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb issued details of provision of relief in the electricity bills. Relief of Rs14 per unit in the electricity bills has started reaching the consumers of 201 to 500 units per month.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said the provincial cabinet had taken a historic step by approving the public-friendly programme.
"The public money, contrary to the past traditions, will now be spent on the provision of public relief," she said during a meeting with Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan.
Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the relief had been provided to 3.516 million consumers of five electricity supply companies companies.
She said 840,000 consumers of LESCO had been provided the relief along with 653,883 of MEPCO, 506,139 of FESCO, 731,305 of GEPCO and 785,550 consumers of IESCO. The amount of relief provided in the electricity bills has also been printed. Marriyum Aurangzeb stated that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has provided a relief worth Rs50 billion to the electricity consumers or up to 200 units monthly.
She said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, despite facing adverse economic conditions, had also made possible the task of providing mega relief to the general public in their electricity bills.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the CM had proved that if one carried concern for the public in the heart then it was reflected in one's actions as well.
She said the Punjab government would provide further relief to the people in the coming days.
The senior minister said the provision of bread and electricity had been made expensive by former prime minister Imran Khan. "We are striving to make them cheap once again. The culprit of the nation who caused price-hike is Imran Khan who brought inflation back in the country," she said.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said Pakistan Muslim League-N President Nawaz Sharif had ended the reliance on the International Monetary Fund but the need for it had arisen again due to an economic disaster brought by Imran Khan. She said CM Maryam Nawaz was making history in Punjab by providing relief and service to the public. Ridding the people of inflation, introducing an excellent service system and making the province an example of progress across the globe is the sole mission of CM .Maryam Nawaz, she added.
She said the provision of permanent relief to the public through solar energy would also be launched soon. The electricity consumers using up to 200 units per month will be provided free solar systems. The consumers of 201 to 500 units will be provided the solar systems on interest-free easy instalments.