Cabinet to Soon Approve Massive Electricity Subsidy for Protected Consumers

The federal government is finalizing a new plan to implement a targeted electricity subsidy for low-income households through the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP). This initiative, awaiting approval from the Federal Cabinet, aims to shift from a broad, untargeted subsidy to one specifically benefiting underprivileged electricity consumers, reported Business Recorder. The Power Division, in collaboration with BISP, has developed a proposal to identify and assist eligible families. BISP will leverage its National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) database to pinpoint potential beneficiaries based on set criteria. This process includes determining the number of subsidies to be provided and identifying families with registered electricity connections. Unregistered families will be encouraged to enroll through 647 Dynamic Registration Centers across the country. The Power Division will work with the State Bank of Pakistan and other financial institutions to ensure smooth subsidy distribution and payment processing. Once the list of eligible consumers is finalized, the Power Division will notify the families via SMS. Beneficiaries will then visit their banks with their electricity bills to claim the subsidy. Biometric verification will be used to confirm their identity before processing the payment.