Speaking at a solarisation conference in Islamabad, the premier also blamed all previous governments for “unbridled circular debts” in the power sector, which have now escalated to Rs. 2.5 trillion.
“Due to lack of responsibility and reforms, the circular debt in the power sector has become a monster and all previous governments of the last 30 years are responsible for it,” the prime minister told the participants. “The circular debt has become four times bigger than our development funds of Rs700 billion.”
The prime minister said that in view of the prevailing economic crisis in the country, the time had come to make long overdue reforms, for which bureaucrats had to rejuvenate themselves to serve the nation, and clear official files without any fear of NAB.
Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif informed the conference that under the government's energy-saving plan, all offices belonging to or in use by federal government ministries, departments, authorities and their offshoots in the provinces, would immediately shift to solar energy during the next four months.
The PM said it would be a model for provincial governments to emulate, as the federal government would not make any additional expenditures over the solarisation process.
He said the entire process would be conducted through a transparent bidding via a third party. The prime minister urged chief ministers to emulate the centre’s pattern and introduce solar systems in their provinces, assuring them of the federal government’s complete assistance in this regard.
The prime minister said that the process for generating 10,000MW solar power in the country had already started, and a conversion by the federal government buildings to solar energy is part of the first phase of this transition.