(August-21-2024)
The Chairman of the FPCCI Advisory Board and National Business Group Pakistan, President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum, and All Karachi Industrial Alliance, as well as former provincial minister Mian Zahid Hussain, on Wednesday said that it is a valuable decision of the government of Punjab to give relief to the people in electricity bills.
He said the opposition’s agitation on the move is unjustified, and the objection to Punjab’s decision is anti-people.
Mian Zahid Hussain said it would be better if other provinces followed this decision and used surplus funds to relieve the people. This can also be done by making a small cut in the capital funds given to the assembly members for the development budget.
Talking to the business community, the veteran business leader said that the IMF should support the Punjab government’s decision because it is using its resources for this relief. Not a single penny has been taken from the centre.
He demanded that the central government also consider giving relief to the people by cutting the development budget of the assembly members.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that instead of objecting to Punjab’s decision, other provinces should imitate it so that the people can get some relief. Different regions have resources; they can also gain political benefits by helping the people in this difficult time.
Under the National Finance Commission, the provinces are paid trillions of rupees, much of which is wasted on politics.
He said that apart from relieving people for two months, it is also essential to find a long-term solution for the expensive electricity for all consumers to improve the situation. The closure of factories can be stopped.
If this does not happen, businesses will continue to close down, unemployment will increase, revenue will be lost, and capital, youth, and experts will continue to flee the country, further weakening the economy.
Mian Zahid Hussain further said that a relief package should be announced for industries and the issue of IPPs should be resolved as soon as possible.
The Punjab Government has started correspondence with Lahore Electric Supply Company, Faisalabad Electric Supply Company, Multan Electric Supply Company, Gujranwala Electric Supply Company, and Islamabad Electric Supply Company to give them advance payment for two months of relief.
All the issues will be finalized soon, reducing consumers’ bills by up to Rs 14 per unit.
