PM announces 3 months relief package for lifeline consumers

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday announced a Rs50 billion package to provide a relief of up to seven rupees per unit to around 25 million domestic power consumers falling in the protected category for three months till September.

“Today, an amount of Rs50 billion has been allocated to provide a relief of Rs 4-7 per unit as a concession to our protected category consumers using up to 200 units a month for a three months period from July to September. This will benefit around 25 million domestic power consumers which constitute around 94% of the total consumer base,” the prime minister said addressing a ceremony held here to discuss the prevailing issues related to electricity bills and reforms in the power sector.

He said that the federal government had scraped the said amount from its development budget to realise its commitment to public relief, contrary to the hollow claims of the previous governments.

He also assured the people of further relief as the government got a fiscal space consequent to its ongoing measures of taxing the elite class, expanding the tax net, closing the non-performing entities and plugging the holes causing financial leakages.