"Government priority is to provide electricity to domestic and commercial consumers at appropriate price and to deal with theft and losses in the sector," the prime minister said, while chairing a meeting on possible decrease in the prices of electricity with his economic team. Those who attended the meeting include Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Asad Umar, Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan, Adviser on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Minister for Ports and Shipping Ali Zaidi, and Special Assistant on Petroleum Division Nadeem Babar.

The prime minister said that the government's efforts were aimed at ensuring stability in the prices of electricity and to provide relief to the people.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office later stated that the meeting discussed various proposals to reduce the prices of electricity and the prime minister stated that the energy sector was very important for economic development.

PM Khan attributed power sector agreements signed by the previous governments, putting reforms in the sector on the backburner, and paying little attention to the transmission and distribution, as factors responsible for the current state-of-affairs in the energy sector and challenges his government faced. Khan said that Pakistan's energy sector was facing challenges, and the entire burden was being carried by the common man.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020