Government announces solar scheme for middle class

KARACHI: The Sindh government has announced a unique solar scheme to save the middle class from expensive electricity, under which citizens will be able to get a solar system by paying an installment equal to their current monthly electricity bill.

Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, while addressing a post-budget press conference, said that the government has prepared a historic solar installment plan for the middle class, which aims to provide permanent relief to the public from the rising electricity costs.

He said that through this scheme, citizens will be able to install solar systems in their homes without any additional financial burden.

Giving an example, the Chief Minister said that if a consumer’s monthly electricity bill is Rs 25,000, he will pay almost the same amount in monthly installments even after installing a solar system. In this way, the consumer will not have to bear the additional cost and in a few years he will become the full owner of his solar system.

He said that after completing the installments within a period of three to four years, consumers will be able to get rid of heavy electricity bills forever, which will significantly reduce household expenses and will also promote alternative sources of energy.

Syed Murad Ali Shah further said that a special scheme of cheap loans is also being introduced to reduce the economic difficulties of the middle class, while work will also be done on the establishment of the Sindh International Financial Center in Karachi.

He said that as per the instructions of President Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the Sindh government is now focusing on large development projects instead of small projects.

In this regard, the mega project of Keti Bandar Port is also being launched under public-private partnership, for which significant progress has been made with China.