Businessmen call new ‘Bijli Package’ ineffective | The Express Tribune

The Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) has expressed disappointment over the recently announced Roshan Maeeshat Bijli Package, saying it will not effectively reduce the cost of doing business or make local industries competitive.

It termed the offer ineffective that will not address the core issue of high power tariff. In a statement, PBF President Khawaja Mehboobur Rehman said the new package – though well-intentioned – fails to address the fundamental problem of high electricity tariffs.

He recalled that the previous Bijli Sahulat Package, launched last winter, also could not deliver meaningful results, with industries receiving an average relief of just Rs2 per unit despite claims of a Rs26.07-per-unit concession.

Rehman stressed that “until the per-unit cost of electricity comes down to Rs26, we will not sit idle,” adding that affordable power is essential for every citizen, shop and factory.

Under the new Roshan Maeeshat Bijli Package, industries and farmers will receive additional electricity at Rs22.98 per unit for the next three years – until October 2028 – but the base tariff remains unchanged. PBF argued that with the current base tariff of around Rs34 per unit (excluding taxes and fuel adjustments), the new package will not bring substantial relief.

PBF Chief Organiser Ahmad Jawad said the current electricity tariff has become a serious burden on businesses, calling it “a tax on production and employment.” He added that Pakistan’s economy is stuck in a cycle where “for a hammer, everything is a nail,” meaning structural problems are being met with short-term fixes.

Jawad noted that while the system has 7,000 megawatts of surplus power, this capacity will not yield results unless the base tariff is rationalised.

He posed three critical questions to policymakers: How long can Pakistan’s industries remain competitive with tariffs exceeding 12 cents per unit, while regional rivals pay nearly half? What is the concrete roadmap to achieve the long-promised 9-cents-per-unit benchmark for base industrial tariffs? How will the government ensure that reforms move beyond short-term relief to deliver lasting tariff rationalisation and structural competitiveness?

PBF officials also stated that without significant tariff reduction and sustainable energy reforms, Pakistan’s industrial and agricultural sectors will continue to struggle against regional competitors.