Miftah Ismail Proposes Formula to Reduce Electricity Costs at Press Conference
At a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, Miftah Ismail, leader of the Awaam Pakistan Party and former Federal Finance Minister, presented a formula to reduce electricity costs.
Ismail proposed that sales and advance income tax be excluded from domestic electricity bills from July to September. According to him, this adjustment could lower bills for domestic consumers by 24%. He pointed out that 46% of capacity charges go to the federal government. He suggested lowering taxes on four government-owned LNG plants and eliminating fuel taxes on power plants connected to the grid.
Ismail also urged the government to make sacrifices by reducing its expenditures. He remarked that the high electricity bills are alienating the public from the PML-N and contributing to political instability in Pakistan. He recommended cutting 400 to 500 billion rupees in expenses allocated to National and Provincial Assemblies members.
Additionally, Ismail announced a symbolic protest by the Awaam Pakistan Party outside the K-Electric office on Sunday. He appealed to citizens to participate in the protest and criticized the electricity departments for failing to serve the public. He noted that electricity bills remain high despite significant load shedding in rural areas.
