Karachi: The Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) has welcomed the announcement of
electricity rates being fixed at Rs. 38 per unit (including all taxes) for Karachi’s industrial sector for the
month of May 2025. President of KATI, Junaid Naqi, termed this decision a much-needed relief for
industries burdened by high production costs.
Junaid Naqi expressed special gratitude to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for maintaining his
government’s pro-industry stance and ensuring the availability of affordable energy. He also thanked
Federal Minister for Energy Awais Leghari for playing a pivotal role in energy sector reforms and
facilitating the supply of electricity from the national grid to Karachi.
He acknowledged the important contributions of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the
Energy Taskforce, and NEPRA, whose collaborative efforts made it possible to implement policies that
helped bring down electricity costs for the productive sectors.
The KATI President also appreciated the leadership of K-Electric CEO, Moonis Alvi, and his engineering
teams for completing the interconnection with NTDC, which has enabled the supply of 1,600 MW of
cheaper national grid electricity to Karachi. This has resulted in a significant reduction in fuel cost
adjustments, directly benefiting the industrial sector.
However, Naqi raised concerns over the delay in the transmission of an additional 400 MW of electricity
by NTDC, calling on authorities to expedite the completion of this segment to fully realize the benefits of
the interconnection for Karachi’s industries.
He further voiced strong support for K-Electric’s proposed 640 MW solar power projects, which are
expected to supply clean energy at just Rs. 10 per unit. According to Naqi, this initiative will reduce
production costs, lessen reliance on expensive imported fuels, and help ease the national subsidy
burden.
Highlighting another critical issue, Naqi pointed out that the incremental power subsidy promised to
industries during the COVID-19 period has still not been disbursed. He urged the federal government to
immediately release these overdue funds and appealed to NEPRA to reconcile the pending amounts
without further delay.
Reaffirming KATI’s commitment to supporting all stakeholders, Junaid Naqi concluded by stating that the
association will continue working toward ensuring affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy for
Karachi’s industries — the backbone of Pakistan’s economy.
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