ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday engaged the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank as a transaction adviser to attract private investors for the installation of 10 million smart meters across all electricity distribution companies (Discos), this large-scale rollour was announced in October 2025.

The Power Division said it had signed a Transaction Advisory Services Agreement (TASA) with the IFC. Under this agreement, the IFC will act as transaction adviser and conduct a comprehensive techno-commercial assessment for a service-provider model or public-private partnership framework to support the large-scale rollout of smart metering infrastructure covering 10 million single-phase connections.

The initiative is intended to attract local and international investors to install, maintain and operate the infrastructure, advancing Pakistan’s digital transformation in the power sector.

The Power Division said the digitisation process has been accelerated to reform the national power distribution network. The reform seeks to replace legacy systems with modern infrastructure, enhancing transparency, operational efficiency and long-term financial viability.

Private investors to be attracted for installing 10m meters across Pakistan

Advanced Smart Metering Infrastructure (AMI) forms the cornerstone of this transformation. Smart meters provide real-time visibility of energy consumption, reduce theft through anomaly detection, improve billing accuracy and recovery rates, and eliminate manual errors by reducing human intervention.

Through an international competitive bidding process, the ministry has secured a 40 per cent reduction in the price of both single-phase and three-phase smart meters, generating substantial savings for the national exchequer and, ultimately, consumers.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2026