ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety (MPA&SS) has announced plans to provide direct subsidies to protected domestic electricity consumers through E-vouchers. According to sources, the Benazir Income Support Fund (BISP) will collaborate with the Power Division to implement the scheme.
In a meeting, several key decisions were made:
BISP will share PMT-based (Proxy Means Test) data with the Power Division.
The Power Division, in coordination with distribution companies (DISCOs), will issue E-vouchers to consumers via registered mobile numbers verified by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will engage banks to collect the E-vouchers along with electricity bills, with the Ministry of Finance facilitating SBP’s involvement.
The plan aims to distribute E-vouchers to 20 million families based on government-determined criteria, with the verification and redemption process integrated into bill collection points. The government also assured the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that it would implement targeted subsidy reforms, replacing cross-subsidies with direct BISP support to eligible households.
Story by Mushtaq Ghumman
