Islamabad: Minister of State for Finance Ali Pervez Malik has acknowledged that operating a shop at 60 rupees per unit and a household at 40 rupees per unit is not feasible.
Ali Pervez Malik stated that the government is working to alleviate the public’s distress regarding electricity bills.
He mentioned that the Prime Minister allocated 50 billion rupees to provide relief to consumers using up to 200 units, but the long-term solution lies in structural reforms.
Ali Pervez Malik explained that Independent Power Producers (IPPs) were established in 1994, 2002, and 2014.
He noted that the families involved in the 1994 and 2002 setups have only a share of 80 billion rupees, and if any wrongdoing occurred, it should be investigated.
In response to the FPCCI’s decision to challenge IPPs’ capacity charges in the Supreme Court, Ali Pervez Malik emphasized the need for reforms and dialogue with those who invested in plants during difficult times, suggesting they should be recognized as heroes rather than villains.
The Minister of State also mentioned that the FBR’s digitization efforts are expected to bring approximately 4 to 5 million new individuals into the tax net, and the government will do its best with the limited resources available.