Govt plans electricity tariff subsidy for 200 unit users

Amidst soaring inflation, the federal government has planned to provide relief to protected power consumers and subsidise electricity for users who consume 200 units

Sources revealed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the concerned authorities to make a plan to subsidise electricity tariffs.

Additionally, the premier rejected the recommendation to hike prices of electricity for protected consumers. 

According to sources, nearly 20 million power consumers who use up to 200 units will be subsidizsd under the scheme, with the government providing relief of at least Rs160 billion until the end of the ongoing fiscal year 2023-24. 

However, consumers who use more units will pay an additional tariff starting from July 1.

Earlier, Sindh Minister for Power and Energy, Nasir Hussain Shah, had announced on Thursday that the government plans to offer free electricity to consumers using up to 100 units.

Shah explained that free units will be provided from solar parks and mini-grid stations, which will be installed soon. 

To provide relief to power consumers, the provincial government is mulling allocating Rs5 billion for solar energy production. 

The Sindh minister had also announced plans to provide solar panels at discounted prices for poor and middle-class employees in the upcoming budget, with 200,000 solar panels to be provided at concessional prices.