Federal Energy Minister Awais Leghari said in a meeting held at the Senate upper house on Thursday that the current cost of electricity in the country is high.
Responding to the question, Minister Leghari said that the latest media reports on power price hikes are based on annual regulatory amendments, especially last June, which marked a significant increase.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s directive indicates that Minister Leghari aims to reduce the impact on consumers, with the government absorbing the heavy burden of Rs 440 billion and translating it into Rs 5.76 per unit.
“In my three months on the job, we prioritized strategies to reduce electricity costs,” said Leghari, with the aim of achieving a significant reduction in eighteen months.
. “Our main focus is to reduce the burden on the public,” he said, stressing efforts to stabilize service reliability, especially in Belarus, where intermittent electricity supply continues.
Looking ahead optically, Leghari predicted a unit contraction of two to three percent by January next year, depending on stable economic factors.
He also highlighted 150 billion rupees in incentives aimed at reducing operating costs for businesses, highlighting sectoral reforms.
With current rates hovering around Rs 35 per unit, Minister Leghari expressed confidence that competitive rates will be achieved through ongoing structural reforms. “In one and a half years, we aim to provide affordable electricity solutions,” he said, adding that he is committed to a sustainable energy policy.
