ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday took notice of NEPRA’s recent policy concerning solar consumers following widespread public backlash. He directed the relevant authorities to review the policy and ensure the protection of consumers’ rights.
Upon immediate notice of the new solar energy regulations issued by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), the prime minister instructed that all possible safeguards be put in place to protect the contracts of existing solar consumers.
He also directed the Power Division to engage with NEPRA and promptly file an appeal for a review of the policy, stating that the burden of approximately 466,000 solar consumers should not be shifted solely onto those using electricity from the national grid. The Power Division was further instructed to prepare a comprehensive action plan in this regard.
A high-level meeting was held in Islamabad under the chairmanship of the prime minister to discuss the matter. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Ali Pervez Malik, Sardar Owais Khan Leghari, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani, Adviser on Privatisation Muhammad Ali, and other senior officials.
Participants reviewed the impact of the new solar regulations, discussed measures to protect the rights of existing consumers, and explored options to reduce the burden on the national grid.
