Mohammad Pervaiz Malik, MNA and PML-N leader, has urged the government to give meaningful relief to the people in the coming budget by drastically reducing the rates of utility bills and tariffs on the import of raw material used in industry and agriculture.
While addressing the Economic Forum of PML-N on Tuesday, he said that the symbolic cut in the electricity charges would neither minimise the hardship of the poor people, nor it would provide any relief to them.
He said electricity rates were higher in Pakistan as compare to other countries. Since the agreements with the foreign power generating companies were coming to an end, the government must reduce the rates, he added.
Malik said that drastic cut in tariffs, particularly the Central Excise Duty on raw material, should also be announced to bolster the sick industrial units and to increase the productivity and growth rate.
The step could also minimise the menace of unemployment and poverty to a great extent, he added.