4. PPIB Oversight: Ban firms subletting licenses to DIY freelancers and uncertified vendors. Mandate net meter installation (optional activation) for all households, akin to CNIC serving as NTN, ensuring quality and compliance.
5. Consistent Policy: Acknowledge solar’s role in reducing carbon footprints, boosting trade with China, and earning climate adaptation credits at global forums. Abrupt shifts deter investment and undermine Pakistan’s renewable commitments.
The Bigger Picture
The government’s focus on fixed costs ignores solar’s intangible benefits: a healthier grid, lower T&D losses, and a greener energy mix. Discriminating between old and new users risks widening regional disparities—Islamabad’s 34,000 solar customers dwarf Sukkur, Quetta, and FATA’s combined 200. Meanwhile, DISCOs sell power at Rs 48.8 per unit but balk at paying Rs 27—or even Rs 10—for solar, despite marginal costs hovering near Rs 9.7. If IPP contract renegotiations have saved billions, as claimed, why haven’t consumer bills dropped?
