Islamabad: In the fiscal year 2024-25, the government of Pakistan collected Rs 490 billion in taxes from the public through electricity bills, which is Rs 110 billion less than the previous year. In the previous fiscal year, Rs 600 billion was collected from electricity bills.
According to sources, the main reason for this significant decline is the increasing trend of the public towards solar systems. As people are increasing their use of solar energy, electricity purchases are decreasing, which is not only reducing electricity bills but also the amount of tax levied on them.
Similarly, there has been a significant reduction in electricity consumption in the industrial sector. According to official data, the total electricity consumption in the country fell by 3.6 percent during the current fiscal year, while electricity consumption in factories and industries has decreased by more than 27 percent.
According to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), a total of Rs 5.8 trillion has been collected in the current fiscal year, but the decrease in tax revenue from electricity bills is being described as a worrying sign.
Economists say that if this trend continues, the government will have to find alternative sources of tax collection to avoid a continuous decline in revenues. Especially with the change in technology in the energy sector, reliance on traditional methods is no longer a long-term solution.
