In televised address to nation, Shehbaz Sharif said federal government would bear burden
\n islamabad
\nPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday announced a special relief package for flood-affected communities. The package specifically includes the waiver of electricity bills of domestic consumers for the month of August.
\nIn a brief televised address to the nation, the prime minister said, the federal government would bear the cost of payments on behalf of households.
\n\u201cWe fully understand the hardship of flood victims. This payment is not a favour but their right,\u201d he said, adding that those who had already paid their August bills would have the amount adjusted in next month\u2019s bills.
\nShehbaz said, clear instructions have been issued to power distribution companies to ensure immediate implementation. He added that assessments were under way to calculate the losses and liabilities of agricultural, commercial, and industrial sectors in the affected areas.
\n\u201cThe recovery of their bills has been suspended for now. If the estimates for these sectors turn out to be higher, the government will take additional steps to provide relief,\u201d he said.
\nThe prime minister described the devastation caused by the floods as \u2018heartbreaking\u2019, noting that many people were left without shelter. \u201cThis is a humble effort from the government to share the suffering of the victims. We will ensure complete rehabilitation of all flood-affected areas,\u201d he said.
\nHe vowed, the government will not rest until every displaced person is resettled. \u201cMay Allah help us in this effort,\u201d he said.
\nIn an effort to mitigate the suffering of people hit by the worst flooding in decades, the government was considering providing relief in electricity bills to consumers. However, approval from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was required for this purpose.
\nThe floods in three rivers has so far rendered millions of people homeless and damaged crops on 1.3 million acres of land. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had asked the Ministry of Finance to reach out to the IMF and secure its consent for granting relief in electricity bills in areas affected by the floods, according to government sources.
\nFollowing the prime minister\u2019s instructions, the ministry held a virtual meeting with the IMF on Friday and sought its endorsement for the waiver, they added.
\nPakistani authorities requested the IMF to defer the bills for three months, citing a precedent set in 2022 when similar relief had been offered in flood-affected regions.
\nSources said that consumers in the areas covered by the Lahore Electricity Supply Company, Gujranwala Electric Power Company, Faisalabad Electricity Supply Company, and Multan Electric Power Company have been adversely affected by the deluge. Consumers of the Sukkur Electric Power Company will also likely to be impacted.
\n\u201cThe immediate concern is to address the issue of the electricity bills for the month of August, which are now due,\u201d Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Laghari told The Express Tribune. He said the Power Division was collecting data from the affected areas, after which it would be in a position to assess the fiscal requirements for relief. The prime minister is \u201cvery much inclined\u201d to ease the burden on power consumers in flood-hit areas and a formal announcement is expected soon, Laghari added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In televised address to nation, Shehbaz Sharif said federal government would bear burden islamabad Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday announced a special relief package for flood-affected communities. The package specifically includes the waiver of electricity bills of domestic consumers for the month of August. In a brief televised address to the nation, the prime […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":439559,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-502800","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n