ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to make the procedure of provision of new net metering connections simple, transparent and user-friendly.

The power minister made the remarks while chairing a review meeting about the provision of new net metering connections through the online portal.

During the meeting, he directed relevant authorities to identify and address any issues hindering the process efficiently.

The minister also said that necessary training should be given to personnel of the power distribution companies on the functionalities of the new portal, and its practical demonstration should also be done.

Furthermore, he advocated for the launch of awareness programs aimed at educating electricity consumers about the portal’s use and the transparency it offers.

In March this year, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet approved amendments to the existing net metering regulations of rooftop solar under which the buyback rate was slashed down from Rs27 to Rs10 per unit.

However, after receiving strong criticism from consumers and the traders over slashing buyback rate from Rs27 to Rs10 per unit, the federal government decided to revisit its solar net metering policy.

Ruling out any change in the government’s policy and priorities regarding solar energy, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructed the authorities concerned to clear all ambiguities among the people regarding the solarisation policy through facts and figures.

“There is no change in the government’s solar energy policy and priority,” said the premier.

He also directed officials to address “confusion” surrounding the net metering policy through facts and figures.