People should not be burdened with power tariff raise: PM

LAHORE: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said that the government would not pass on the burden of increase in the power tariff to the people.
He said that the government was withdrawing the subsidy on the electricity owing to the reduction in the fuel prices in the international market. However impact of subsidy withdrawal would not be put on the shoulders of the general public.
He said that the government was focusing on the construction of the affordable housing units for low income groups to overcome the housing shortage in the country.
In a meeting with a delegation of SP Tech (Pvt) Ltd, led by its Chairman Hans Wilhelmson here, the prime minister emphasised that housing was one of the most important human needs and was related to other societal issues like provision of employment, transportation, sanitation, education and health facilities.
The prime minister was given a detailed presentation on the technical and financial aspects of low cost housing in the country, according to a PM House statement. He was informed that the country was facing a shortfall of more than three million housing units with demand in urban areas increasing at a faster pace.