Federal Minister for Power Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari said electricity subsidies for protected consumers would continue through a new QR code-based system.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Sunday, Leghari rejected reports that the federal government planned to end subsidies. He said such reports were “contrary to the facts.”
The minister said consumers using less than 200 electricity units would continue receiving support. He said the number of such consumers had exceeded 20 million.
Leghari said eligible users would receive subsidies without interruption through the QR code system. He also said no proposal to increase taxes on electricity bills was under consideration.
The minister said the QR code system would help compile consumer data and ensure subsidies reached deserving beneficiaries. He said subsidised consumers were being asked to provide details through registration.
Leghari said electricity subsidy beneficiaries had increased from 9.5 million to 21.5 million over four years. He added that around 29.57 million domestic consumers, or 86% of the total, currently receive subsidies.
On power sector reforms, he said renegotiated agreements with independent power producers had saved Rs3.5 trillion. He said reduced distribution company losses saved Rs193 billion, while circular debt fell by Rs780 billion in FY2024-25.
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Leghari said the government did not intend to discourage solar adoption. He clarified that net metering had not been abolished and that only the billing procedures had changed.
More than two million single-phase consumers had completed registration, he said. He added that the revised net billing policy would not affect 90% of domestic consumers.
The minister said the government had removed licensing requirements for solar projects of 25kW or less and simplified approvals for smaller projects.
