Caretaker Minister for Energy and Petroleum Muhammad Ali has said that the government has no plans to reduce incentives for solar net metering.

“There were talks of a change in the rate of solar net metering in media and social media that the government is reducing the net metering rate from Rs19. I want to clarify and ensure that we are not taking any such measure,” he said while addressing a media in Karachi on Monday.

The minister said that the government will announce a special incremental tariff for electricity users in industries before October 31 in an attempt to provide cheap electricity to these consumers.

In order to lighten the burden on the energy consumers, the government is working on a special tariff for winters, he added.

Read: Solar Association hits out at govt for attempting to revise net metering

Ali said that the government has started strict measures and actions against electricity theft and a countrywide crackdown has been initiated.

“We have transferred those in the distribution and other companies who were complicit in electricity theft and taking action against them. We have also launched a crackdown against gas theft,” he added.

Earlier, the government was reported to have been planning to issue an ordinance aimed to further regulate net metering because people who installed solar panels on their rooftops have inadvertently caused an increase in the capacity payments to IPPs.

The ordinance will also criminalize non-payment of electricity bills, said the report run by a private TV channel.

A senior official confirmed to Aaj News that a proposal on net metering was being discussed.