ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Friday that contracts with eight additional independent power producers (IPPs) have been successfully renegotiated to address issues related to increasing electricity tariffs especially for consumers using over 200 units of electricity.
Speaking in National Assembly, Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar said that the government has terminated power purchase agreements with five IPPs in order to save billions of rupees by reducing capacity payments.
He said a recent announcement by National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) to lower the fuel cost adjustment by 86 paisas per unit, emphasised the prime minister’s commitment to lowering electricity prices for public relief.
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He said that the federal government had allocated Rs50 billion subsidy for consumers using 1 to 200 units from July to September, while Punjab government added Rs45 billion for those using between 201 and 500 units.
“An annual subsidy of Rs276 billion for consumers using up to 300 units has also been set, along with an additional Rs174 billion for K-Electric,” he added.
The minister expressed hope that power tariff would be further reduced as the Prime Minister’s Task Force on IPPs continues its work.
He pointed out positive economic indicators, including $8.8 billion in remittances, reduced inflation, a lowered interest rate, increased exports, and growing foreign exchange reserves.
Responding to a question, the minister said that the government is making all-out efforts to make the country drug free, for which, the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) regularly conducts raids against drugs traffickers.
Tarar further informed the house that Pakistan has bilateral engagements with counter-narcotics authorities of partner countries such as the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and Iran. “So far, we’ve signed 37 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to curb narcotics while MoUs with 29 countries are either under process or under revision,” he added.
He said a smart city App in the name of “My Islamabad” is being launched to provide all kinds of facilities to the citizens on a touch of a button.
Answering a question, Attaullah Tarar said the feeder route F-11 will start from I-16 to N-5 Metro Station and is expected to be operational by January next year, which will connect I-16 to Islamabad and Rawalpindi through Orange Line and Red Line Metro Bus services.
The minister also laid two bills – the Naturalisation (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and Pakistan citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2024 – before the house.
Meanwhile, the house passed a unanimous resolution, reiterating Pakistan’s full diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of Kashmir for their right to self-determination.
The resolution was moved by Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam on the 77th anniversary of Indian invasion of Kashmir on 27th October 1947.
The house stressed that durable peace in South Asia depends on the resolution of Kashmir dispute as per the UN resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
Rejecting Indian attempts to alter demographic structure of the disputed territory, the resolution condemned the incarceration of thousands of political workers and ban on different political parties of Kashmir.
The house pointed out that farcical elections in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir cannot be a substitute to the right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people.
The resolution demanded India to improve human rights situation in IIOJK, release all political prisoners, lift ban on political parties, revoke draconian laws and implement UN Security Council’s resolutions on Kashmir.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024