Energy Reform Plan: Power and Gas Subsidies for BISP Families by 2025-26
Pakistan’s Energy Reform Plan will provide power and gas subsidies to low-income families through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) by 2025-26, helping the needy afford essential energy services.
What is the Energy Reform Plan?
Pakistan’s Energy Reform Plan is about making energy subsidies fairer. Right now, everyone gets cheap electricity and gas, even rich people, which costs the government too much and creates debt. By 2025-26, only poor families will get subsidies through BISP, a program that helps low-income households. By 2027, general subsidies will end, saving money for other needs like schools and hospitals.
Why Use BISP?
BISP is Pakistan’s biggest program for helping poor families, supporting over 9 million households with cash and other aid. It’s great for this plan because:
- It has a system (NSER) to check who really needs help, so money isn’t wasted.
- It gives cash to women, letting them make smart choices for their families.
- It uses safe ways to send money, like digital payments, to stop cheating.
How Will Subsidies Work?
Starting in 2025-26, BISP families will get help with energy costs:
- Electricity: Subsidies will lower their bills, either by adding money to their BISP account or paying the power company directly.
- Gas: Money will help cover gas bills, sent through BISP’s system.
- Digital Payments: In 2025, BISP will test a new way to send money using bank accounts or ATMs, making it easy and clear.
When Will This Start?
- 2025: BISP will help 10 million families and raise its cash payment to PKR 13,500 every three months. Digital payments will start in some places.
- 2026: All energy subsidies will go through BISP, and broad subsidies will stop.
- 2027: Only poor families will get subsidies, making the system fair.
Who Can Get Subsidies?
To qualify, families must:
- Earn less than PKR 50,000 a month.
- Be poor, as checked by BISP’s survey.
- Not own land, cars, or big businesses.
- Have a valid Pakistani ID card.
- Widows, divorced women, or families with disabled people get priority.
Benefits for Families
- Lower Bills: Families can afford electricity and gas without stress.
- Women’s Strength: Women get the money, so they control family spending.
- Honest System: Fingerprint checks and digital payments stop fraud.
- Better Life: Saved government money can improve schools, health, and jobs.
Challenges and Fixes
- Problem: Some families in far areas might miss out.
- Fix: BISP is adding more offices and visiting homes to sign people up.
- Problem: Digital payments might not work perfectly at first.
- Fix: BISP is teaming up with banks to fix issues fast.
- Problem: Rising prices could make subsidies less helpful.
- Fix: BISP will increase payments to keep up with costs.
How to Apply
- Join BISP: Visit a BISP office with your ID card and address proof.
- Get Subsidies: Money comes through banks, ATMs, or BISP cash points with fingerprint checks.
- Check Status: Text 8171 or visit the BISP website to see if you’re enrolled.
- Solve Problems: Call 神话
