Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)
The Progressive Group has called for the immediate introduction of reforms in the energy sector to make it available for domestic, commercial and industrial usage at affordable rates and its production in the required amount. It said that expensive energy and POL prices were not only making life miserable for domestic consumers but it was also rendering our manufacturing sector incompatible with the international market by increasing its input cost.
Progressive Group’s central leader and LCCI Executive Committee member Muhammad Ejaz Tanveer in a statement issued here Friday said that all the political parties should make the introduction of reforms in the energy sector as part of their election manifesto and a top agenda of their list of preferences. Similarly, he said that the present interim government should also pay attention towards it. Ejaz Tanveer suggested that the government should work on the promotion of renewable energy on a war footing to produce electricity according to domestic and commercial requirements. He advocated for extending incentives to the private sector and making it easier for it to set up solar or wind power electricity production plants.
Ejaz also voiced for review of the IPP policy and also revision of the old contracts to bring down the energy prices thus making life easier for the domestic, commercial and industrial sectors. He said cheaper electricity was also of utmost essential for the agricultural tube wells. He asked for encouraging domestic consumers to get solar installed on their houses.
For this purpose, he suggested legislation and facilitating the citizen to get green meters and solar panels etc. He also suggested promoting pre-paid meters and giving the electricity distribution system in private-public partnerships to control the pilferage as well as recovery of the dues from all the consumers.
