Pakistan to seek WB, ADB loans for nationwide smart meter project

The federal government has decided to install smart electricity meters across all power distribution companies (DISCOs) in Pakistan, with funding expected through multibillion-dollar loans from multilateral financial institutions.

According to an official government statement, a meeting regarding the development programmes of power distribution companies was held under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Establishment Division Ahad Cheema.

The meeting reviewed ongoing development projects of DISCOs and discussed efforts by the Economic Affairs Division to arrange financing for the installation of smart meters on transformers across all distribution companies.

Officials informed the meeting that the government plans to implement the nationwide smart metering initiative with financial assistance from international lending institutions.

As part of the financing arrangements, Pakistan will hold negotiations with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to secure funding for the project.

The proposed initiative aims to introduce smart metering infrastructure across the country's power distribution network.