Shehbaz says industries should be provided electricity at lower tariff Seeks plan to provide low consumption power fans to low income consumers Announces Shuhada Package for martyred federal govt officials.
ISLAMABAD/ABBOTTABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday chaired a high-level third and final meeting to review reforms in the power sector.
During the meeting, important decisions were taken about the transmission system of electricity and distribution companies. The prime minister approved in principle reforms and restructuring of the electricity transmission system especially reform and reorganisation of National Transmission and Despatch Company.
He formed a committee to finalise the recommendations for ensuring implementation of reforms and reorganisation in this regard. He also set up a cell in the Prime Minister House for ensuring implementation of reforms in the power sector. The cell would closely monitor the whole process.
He sought a report on the project of his last government which was aimed at replacing high power consumption fans with low power usage fans. He also sought a comprehensive plan to provide low consumption power fans to low income consumers and another plan to provide electricity to the industrial sector at low rates.
The PM said he himself would chair the monthly review meeting on the power sector reforms. He directed that industries should be provided electricity at lower tariff to ensure economic progress and increase exports. “Reforms are not possible in the government departments without a system of reward and punishment,” he added.
Federal ministers Ishaq Dar, Ahad Cheema, Muhammad Aurganzeb, Attaullah Tarar, Sardar Awais Khan Leghari, Dr Musadiq Malik, Abdul Aleem Khan, former minister for power Muhammad Ali, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Jehanzeb Khan, member National Assembly Bilal Azhar Kiyani, Engineer Qamarul Islam, Coordinator to Prime Minister Rana Ihsaan Afzal, Chairman Board of Revenue, Chairman NEPRA and high level officers attended the meeting.
During the meeting, participants were informed in detail about issues and reforms of National Transmission and Despatch Company and different suggestions were presented.
Recommendations were also presented regarding the power distribution companies, their losses, privatization and outsourcing. The meeting was also informed about tariff rationalization and power tariffs for industries and domestic consumers. Different suggestions were put forth for utilization of electricity for cooking by domestic consumers instead of gas.
The prime minister appreciated the briefing and said the approved reforms should be implemented in the stipulated time.
Also, PM Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday launched the Shuhada Package to support the families of the federal government officials martyred in the line of duty.
The prime minister announced the package during his visit to the family of late Customs Inspector Syed Hasnain Ali Tirmizi, who was martyred in a firing incident in Dera Ismail Khan a few days ago. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, PML-N leaders, and senior government officers were present.
PM Sharif handed over a cheque under the Shuhada Package to the family of martyred personnel and assured his government’s all-out efforts for the security of the customs officials serving to purge the country of smuggling. Offering Fateha for the martyred soul and sympathizing with the bereaved family, he said that the Shuhada Package, earlier announced by the Punjab government, had now been extended to the federal government and could be revised further considering the country’s financial position.
The package comprises cash assistance, housing allowance, free education and medical treatment. Under the package, the family members of a martyred sepoy will get Rs 10 million cash assistance and Rs 13.5 million housing allowance besides free education and medical treatment. The family of a martyred customs inspector will be entitled for a Rs15 million cash and Rs25 million housing allowance along with free education and medical facilities.
PM Sharif said the package would also apply to civilian officials, police and law enforcement agencies.
In his interaction with the family members, the prime minister showed compassion and affection to the orphaned children and called them the “children of a hero”.
He told the children that entire nation was proud over their “hero father”.
The prime minister paid tribute to the late customs inspector who sacrificed his life while fighting against smuggling in a bid to save billions of dollars for the national economy.
He also lauded the patience and perseverance of the martyred customs inspector’s father and apprised him of his government’s ongoing efforts to curb smuggling, citing holding several meetings on the subject.
He said the Federal Board of Revenue, law enforcement agencies and interior ministry were working in collaboration to curb the menace of smuggling in cohesion with provincial institutions.
“The elimination of smuggling is as essential as the recovery of the national economy. Economic stability cannot be achieved without curbing the smuggling. This is my foremost responsibility as well as of my government,” he remarked.
He also thanked Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, the provincial chief secretary, and Inspector General of KP Police for their support in the federal government’s endeavour against smuggling so that people could use their produce and the country could earn foreign exchange through exports by legal means.
“I want to tell the federal and provincial government representatives that smuggling is our common enemy and we have to fight this out... Let us pledge not to spare any effort to curb smuggling to save billions of dollars for the national economy. If we set this goal, Allah will grant us success otherwise, we will be questioned on the day of judgment,” the prime minister remarked.
The father of martyred Customs Inspector Hasnain Tirmizi thanked the prime minister for visiting and sympathizing with them.
He told the prime minister that his son was inducted into the service 22 months ago and added that he felt proud of his son for opting to lay his life with dignity while fighting for the country.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday said the government was committed to empower the youth equipping them with modern technology and imparting the latest vocational training.
He was speaking at an event organized by the Ministry of Information Technology on the occasion of International Girls in Information Communication Technology (ICT) Day, to recognize contribution of female entrepreneurs in the field.
He said, “It is our hope and we expect that the youth will become entrepreneurs and open offices in cities like Karachi, Lahore and other places in Pakistan and other countries like Saudi Arabia, and information technology will become the biggest foreign exchange earner for Pakistan.”
He said, “We will make all investments required to achieve our goals in the field of information technology so that the youth can become bread earners for their families and foreign exchange earners for Pakistan.”
He underlined the need for decreasing gender discrimination in the society, citing the example of Saudi Arabia where women were 40 percent of the workforce working in shopping malls, business houses, universities, and other places.
The prime minister said Pakistan was blessed with huge human resource in the shape of highly talented youth population of 15 to 30 years.
The youth were a great asset of Pakistan and it was an opportunity and challenge to utilise the young population for the country’s progress, he remarked.
He said fintech was playing an important role in increasing gross domestic product (GDP) of countries in the region including the Gulf states as with its help people were opening bank accounts in minutes and fast business transactions were taking place without any delay.
He said Pakistan would gain a bright future by utilizing emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and robotics.
Earlier he gave away awards to women entrepreneurs and freelancers for their contributions in the field of information technology.
He expressed the hope that many more young entrepreneurs would emerge in the future and win laurels for the country.