Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the federal government, in collaboration with provincial governments, is working on a comprehensive reform plan targeting key sectors of the economy. Speaking at a cabinet meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday, he highlighted the focus areas, including the power sector, agriculture, digitalization of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), commerce, and trade.
Shehbaz Sharif clarified that the recent electricity relief package announced by the Punjab government, benefiting consumers using 200 to 500 units, is funded entirely by the provincial budget, with no contribution from the federal government. He urged against politicizing relief measures and encouraged other provincial governments to implement similar initiatives.
The prime minister also emphasized the federal government’s efforts to provide relief nationwide, citing a Rs50 billion subsidy package for electricity consumers using up to 200 units from July to September. This package, he noted, benefits approximately 86 percent of electricity consumers across the country.
Shehbaz Sharif further discussed a Rs70 billion project, jointly funded by the federal and Balochistan governments, to convert 28,000 tubewells in Balochistan to solar energy, with the federal government contributing Rs55 billion.
Addressing economic stability, the prime minister pointed out that inflation has dropped to its lowest rate in three years, from 38 percent to 11 percent, and assured that efforts to reduce it further are ongoing.
He also praised the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for its coordination and efforts in response to recent monsoon-related damages. The cabinet session concluded with a prayer for the martyrs of the ongoing fight against terrorism and those who lost their lives in recent floods and rains.
