ISLAMABAD: The prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, declared on Tuesday that protected consumers who use up to 200 units of electricity for a three-month period would not have their electricity tariffs raised by the government.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced at an event in Islamabad that “household consumers who consume up to 200 units of electricity will get a subsidy for three months — July, August, September.”
The revelation follows public anger over a government decision to dramatically raise tariffs, which were claimed to be necessary in order to obtain a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The prime minister said that the subsidy will cost the national exchequer Rs50 billion. His government has come under fire for burdening the salaried class with the new budget.
94% of the households that utilize power are these ones. “This subsidy will be funded through our budget’s development fund,” he stated, reminding the people of the electricity price cuts made by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) administration without any budgetary support.
According to PM Shehbaz, the package will result in an electricity cost per unit of Rs. 4 to Rs. 5, with K-Electric customers also qualifying for this discount.
The decision, according to the premier, was made to help the average person as a result of rising electricity costs.
He claimed that the three summer months are the most difficult to handle and that when the weather improves starting in October, so does the amount of electricity used.
