ISLAMABAD: The government is taking steps for launching alternate energy projects across the country to provide electricity on cheap rates to the consumers, Energy Minister Omar Ayub Khan said on Sunday.
Talking to a news channel, he said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government was taking all possible measures to introduce cheap electricity in near future.
Installing new power plants would also bring the energy rates down, he added.
Lamenting over the weak policies of the previous governments, Khan said costly agreements were struck with the power companies at the cost of people’s utility bills.
Appreciating the working of the energy department, he said the department had recovered Rs112 billion after controlling electricity theft from various parts of the country.
To a question, the federal minister said the government had to bear an extra burden of Rs350 billion by using imported coal to produce electricity.
He said besides renewal energy plants, focus on wind and hydel resources would help address the problems in the power sector.
Replying to another question, he said the previous governments of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had controlled tariff rate artificially.
A new energy policy would be constituted to balance the system in the electricity sector, the minister added.
