Pakistan has highest power tariff in region, Awais Laghari

Islamabad: Energy Minister Awais Leghari on Tuesday admitted that the electricity tariffs in Pakistan were the highest in the region but added that the poor were being provided subsidy in power bills.

“No doubt, we’re providing the most expensive electricity in the region, but poor consumers are getting at subsidised rates with others bearing the burden,” the minister said while addressing the National Youth Convention in Islamabad.

Due to the high cost of electricity, the minister said, industries across the country were shutting down but the government was “now providing electricity to the industries at lower rates, bearing the additional costs”.

Meanwhile, Leghari also asked the nation to endure "two-hour of loadshedding" which according to him, could result in significant savings of up to Rs50 billion’

“Another measure to save electricity is switching fans to energy efficient,” he said, adding that the government has chalked out new power plan to eliminate loadshedding.

The power minister further said that earlier, the cost of electricity for the consumers was Rs10 per unit, but it has increased due to the depriciation of local curreny against US dollar. “The current average electricity cost stands at Rs44 per unit”, he added.

Leghari noted that the nation would receive a "good news" regarding independent power producers (IPPs) soon. “We secretly began work on IPPs, but the news leaked from the ministry,” he said.

He also announced that the government is planning to establish new power plants to address the issue of loadshedding in the country. The minister said the task force has been constituted, in which the law enforcement agencies’ officials have also been included.

On July 15, PM Shehbaz Sharif-led government jacked up the base tariff for domestic consumers to up to Rs48.84 per unit.

The hike in electricity price, as per the notification issued by the Power Division, also includes consumers in Karachi, however, it will not apply to consumers using up to 200 units per month who have been exempted from the increase for three months.