Protests over inflated energy bills continue unabated as caretakers await IMF nod for relief
Pakistan
Power division proposes cash instead of free units for officials
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - As the countrywide protests over massive power bills are intensifying, the Kakar-led caretaker government has failed to come up with any relief measures as it tries to strike a balance between avoiding drawing the IMF’s ire and causing more citizens to blow a fuse.
In a recent meeting of the federal cabinet, chaired by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, the focus was on providing relief to electricity consumers.
It was decided that consumers using up to 400 units of electricity would be allowed to pay their bills in installments over the next six months.
However, approval from the IMF will be sought before announcing this relief measure.
During the meeting, the economic situation of the country, public protests over electricity bills, and the formula for power division were also discussed.
Read more: Traders, others let loose their anger across country against exorbitant electricity bills
The Power Division furnished a briefing, revealing that employees in grades 17 to 21 currently enjoy 7 million units of free electricity per month. Similarly, employees from grades 1 to 16 use 33 crore units of free electricity per month, and a total of 1,73,200 government employees utilise free electricity worth Rs10 billion annually.
The Power Division further informed that by discontinuing the provision of free electricity to employees in grades 17 to 21, savings of 19 crore rupees per month can be achieved. They would be paid in cash instead of free units. This move aims to address the financial burden on the government and promote a more fair distribution of resources.
