NA Committee Questions Government’s Solar Policy Amid Power Sector Contradictions

Islamabad: The National Assembly’s Economic Affairs Committee raised questions on the government’s solar policy, saying that there are many contradictions in the solar policy.

The meeting of the National Assembly’s Economic Affairs Committee was held under the chairmanship of Committee Chairman Muhammad Atif Khan, where the issue of failures and reforms in the power sector over the last 30 years was discussed.

In the meeting, Power Division officials briefed the meeting and said that the privatization process is underway to ensure transparency in the DISCOs and the sector due diligence for privatization is in the final stage.

It was informed in the meeting that in the first phase, three distribution companies are being privatized, the losses of these companies are less than those of the other discos, and a financial advisor has been hired for the privatization of the three discos.

On this occasion, committee member Javed Hanif asked why the discos that are performing well are being privatized first. Mirza Iftikhar Baig said that there are many contradictions in the power policy itself, there is surplus electricity, so solar is being discouraged, while Atif Khan said that solar was first encouraged and now net metering is being abolished.

To this, the Power Division officials responded that to date, no indication has been given from any side to discourage solar, and neither the government nor the ministry has said anything about solar.

On this occasion, Maza Iftikhar Baig said that the net metering rate has been reduced from Rs 27 to Rs 11. The investment is mine and the minister will decide. When will this money be returned? People and the industry are being affected by these decisions of yours.

Power Division officials said that the 2021 Power Policy was formulated by the Council of Common Interests. On this, Atif Khan said that if any sector has caused the most damage to this country, it is the power sector. The common man cannot afford the price of Rs. 70 for electricity. The burden of capacity payments will continue to be borne by the public for the next 30 years.