ISLAMABAD — In what has been hailed as a “historic success”, Federal Power Minister Awais Leghari announced that Pakistan has reduced its power sector losses by Rs192 billion during FY2024–25, bringing the figure down from Rs591 billion in the previous year to Rs399 billion.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Leghari credited the turnaround to targeted reforms, including crackdowns on electricity theft, improved bill recovery, and merit-based governance across power distribution companies (Discos).
“This Rs591 billion could have gone into building schools, hospitals, and roads — instead, it was being lost to inefficiency and theft,” said Leghari. “Now we’ve finally turned the tide.”
📉 Key achievements highlighted:
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Recovery rate jumped from 92.4% to 96.4%
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Rs11 billion reduction in electricity theft
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Rs60 billion in savings by Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) alone
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Rs315 billion in unpaid bills still remain, but collections have improved
Leghari noted that while progress is visible nationwide, utilities in Sindh continue to underperform due to legal challenges and administrative inertia. He said upcoming board changes in Sindh-based companies may lead to better outcomes.
🧾 Reforming IPP agreements
The minister reiterated that earlier negotiations with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) had already saved the country nearly Rs4 trillion, and talks are ongoing with wind power producers. He assured that any restructuring would prioritize public interest.
⚡ Relief for Karachi:
In a major development for Karachi, Leghari announced that K-Electric will now receive 400MW more from the national grid, bringing its total to 2,000MW, but only if KE abides by a uniform national tariff.
☀️ Net metering policy under revision
Amid a surge in solar installations, Leghari signaled a revamp of the net metering policy, which he argued disproportionately benefits higher-income users.
“The current policy puts an unfair burden on the rest of the grid,” he explained. A revised policy will be shared with the federal cabinet in two weeks.
📺 TV fee removed from electricity bills
In a long-awaited step, the government has eliminated the PTV license fee from electricity bills. The federal government has also written to all four provincial chief ministers asking them to remove electricity duty. So far, only one province has responded.
“Once the rest respond, we will move the matter to the prime minister for final decision,” Leghari concluded.
