Pakistan discusses relief in electricity bills with IMF

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has contacted the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over proposed relief in electricity bills, citing sources ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Caretaker Minister for Finance, Dr Shamshad Akhtar, has contacted IMF resident representative Esther Pérez Ruiz over the matter, sources at finance ministry stated.

The minister discussed for relief over electricity bills with the IMF, the finance ministry sources said.

The monetary fund was briefed about the situation emerged after hike in electricity bills, sources said.

The proposals for providing relief in electricity bills to consumers have been shared with the IMF, sources at ministry stated.

According to sources, the IMF got the government’s stance over the relief and invited a written plan for relief over the power bills.

“A written relief plan will be delivered to the IMF this evening,” ministry sources added.

The caretaker federal cabinet decided to seek nod from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for providing relief in the electricity bills to the power consumers, ARY News reported Tuesday.

Caretaker Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi said in a statement that the caretaker finance minister Shamshad Akhtar is taking the IMF on board regarding the relief for the power consumers.

He confirmed that the caretaker finance minister is holding talks with the IMF. He added that the caretaker set-up to get the IMF in confidence for making some decisions.

Solangi said that the caretaker government will make decisions regarding the electricity bills within a few hours after taking the IMF on board.

People across Pakistan are protesting against the inflated electricity bills demanding relief from the government.

The protesting masses also demanding that the government should end provision of free electricity to the its officials and staffers of electricity companies and Wapda.