Sherry Rehman Criticises NEPRA Policies, Questions Solar Net Metering Changes
ISLAMABAD : Pakistan Peoples Party Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman strongly criticised the government’s energy policies during a Senate session, questioning recent decisions related to net metering, power tariffs, and the electricity distribution system.
She said Parliament was the first building in the country to be solarised and noted that Pakistan had earned international recognition for its net metering policy. However, she termed the current steps taken by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) as incomprehensible.
Senator Rehman said the middle class was questioning why households were encouraged to adopt solarisation if policies were now being reversed. She asked how such actions could be justified in a country that is among the most affected by climate change.
Calling the rooftop solarisation movement in Pakistan commendable, she said the existing electricity distribution system was obsolete. She questioned what message was being sent to investors by repeatedly changing power tariffs, adding that constant tariff revisions discourage investment.
She said electricity bills had effectively been turned into instalment plans, burdened with multiple taxes. Questioning the government’s claims of surplus electricity, she asked why unannounced load-shedding continued across the country.
Senator Rehman said that instead of investing in future-oriented solutions such as AI centres, the government was prioritising outdated systems while increasing electricity bills. She stressed that affordable electricity should be provided to manufacturing companies and domestic consumers.
Raising concerns over employment, she said around 30,000 people enter the job market annually and questioned where jobs would come from. She added that major manufacturing industries were leaving Pakistan due to heavy taxation and expensive energy.
She further criticised the downsizing of the public sector and asked what alternative arrangements had been made for those affected. According to her, frequent changes in power tariffs were the primary reason investors were exiting the country.
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