What was announced
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a reduction of Rs4.4 in the per unit electricity rate for the industrial sector on 30 January 2026, saying the move was meant to improve productivity and exports. Dawn reported that the prime minister made the announcement during an address to the country’s major exporters and business figures.
“A Rs4.4 reduction is being made in the electricity unit rate for industries,” Shehbaz said, adding that “if it were in his control, he would reduce it by another Rs10”. He said his “hands are tied, as you all know well”, addressing the business leaders and exporters.
The premier also announced a reduction in wheeling charges for industries, stating that the new level “will be less than Rs9”. He said he hoped the change would help industries sell their power to neighbouring industries.
Economic framing
During the address, Shehbaz said he could now say “without hesitation” that Pakistan’s economy had become “stable”. He noted that inflation was in “single digits” and that the policy rate stood at 10.5 per cent. He recalled a period when “the policy rate used to be 21.5-22pc, and inflation was galloping”, and said industrialists and businessmen had faced those difficulties head-on.
The prime minister said there had been hope that “a better time” would come and that Pakistan would be “on its way to progress”. The government has presented cheaper industrial energy as a route to reviving manufacturing and exports, which are central to its stabilisation programme.
Why it matters
Electricity costs are a persistent complaint of Pakistan’s exporters, who argue that high tariffs erode their competitiveness against regional rivals. A cut of Rs4.4 per unit for industry, paired with lower wheeling charges, is intended to lower input costs across manufacturing at a time when the government is trying to build on single-digit inflation and a lower policy rate.
Sources & reporting notes
This report is based on contemporaneous coverage reviewed on 2026-01-31.
- Dawn — PM Shehbaz announces Rs4.4 cut in electricity rates for industriesPublished 30 January 2026 · Carries the Rs4.4 per unit industrial tariff cut, the wheeling-charge reduction, and the prime minister's comments on inflation, the policy rate and economic stability.
