The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government on Friday presented a new energy policy to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, recommending an energy mix as a way forward and proposed phasing out subsidy on the power sector but also recommending subsidy protection for consumers using 300 or below units of electricity per month, Pakistan Today has learnt reliably.
Energy mix means regime change under which focus from thermal power will be shifted to coal-based power generation for cheaper energy production.
A source told Pakistan Today that the prime minister expressed his satisfaction over the new paradigm shift in the energy sector but also gave some new ideas and asked to incorporate them in the final document.
“After finalsing the policy, the final product will be submitted with the Council of Common Interests (CCI) for approval,” the official said, adding that the premier wanted to take the provinces on board over the new energy policy which could not be implemented without cooperation from the provincial governments and all federating units.
The source said the prime minister directed the meeting to keep in place the subsidy for those who could not afford to pay bills with the increasing price of electricity.
Chairing the high-level meeting held to give final touches to the new power policy here at the PM’s Office, PM Nawaz said the new policy would turn out to be a panacea of Pakistan’s energy ills.
Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Minister Information and Broadcasting Pervez Rashid, Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Minister for Water and Water Khawaja Asif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, as well as Dr Musaddiq Malik, Shaukat Tareen and other stakeholders from the private and public sectors attended the meeting.
A statement issued after the meeting said the people and the economy had suffered badly at the hands of the crippling power crisis and it was high time prudent and consistent policies were pursued to come out of the mess.
“The meeting not only discussed the broad contours of the new energy policy but also analysed minute details. It also decided that the new power policy will be announced shortly by the prime minister,” the statement read.