The government will stop purchasing electricity after March this year following approval for the establishment of an Independent Electricity Market. This announcement was made by Minister for Energy Sardar Awais Ahmad Leghari during the National Assembly’s Question Hour.

Leghari stated that the new market system will enable consumers to directly purchase electricity from various suppliers, fostering competition and delivering benefits to consumers. He also revealed that renegotiated agreements with over 28 Independent Power Producers (IPPs) have resulted in savings of 1,457 billion rupees for the national treasury. Additionally, since June last year, electricity tariffs for industrial users have been reduced by 11 rupees per unit, with other consumers experiencing a decrease of 4 rupees per unit.

The Minister further shared that the tariff for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations has been significantly reduced from 71 rupees to 39 rupees per unit. Special units have also been established to improve revenue collection and curb electricity theft, with promising results leading to an expansion of the initiative. On the topic of consumer billing, Leghari announced that advanced metering infrastructure is being implemented across all distribution companies in phases, aiming to enhance billing accuracy and customer satisfaction. He added that the government anticipates meeting the conditions required for privatizing power distribution companies by the end of this month.

In response to another question, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar informed the House that the ICT Senior Citizens Council has been reconstituted and will convene soon. The approval of related rules will be included in the agenda for this meeting.