Deliverance Of Affordable Electricity Top Priority: Minister

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Aug, 2024) The Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division), Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari on Monday said that providing affordable electricity to the people through the implementation of energy reforms was a top priority of the government.

In an interview with a private news channel, he said that the government was carefully reviewing the issues of independent power producers (IPPs) and would soon reduce electricity prices through dialogue and consultation with them.

The government's priority was to look after the interests of the people, not of any elites or capitalists, he added.

While talking about the hydropower projects, he said, "About 10,000 megawatts will be added to the system through these projects."

"The government, through identifying and fixing the fault lines in the power sector, will be able to generate cheap electricity," he added.

Replying to a query about talks with China, the minister highlighted, "The re-profiling of debt was the key aspect, which is expected to reduce electricity prices and increase demand for electricity."

Another key component of these reforms involves converting electricity generation plants from imported coal to local coal, which could significantly lower the cost per unit of electricity, he added.

The minister emphasized the government's commitment to power sector reforms and expressed confidence that these measures would address ongoing challenges and stabilize the financial structure of the sector.

"The government was committed to safeguarding lower-income electricity users, emphasizing that this protection remains a top priority," he added.