ISLAMABAD: The government has acknowledged that the depreciation of the Pakistani rupee pushed up petroleum and construction material prices and significantly increased the estimated costs of major dam and hydropower projects.

During Friday’s National Assembly session, lawmakers were informed that cement prices had risen by 204 percent, with the cost of a 50-kilogram bag increasing from Rs530 to Rs1,610 due to the rupee’s decline against the US dollar.

The price of high-speed diesel also climbed to Rs472 per litre, while steel and iron rod prices surged by 268 percent, rising from Rs72,000 to Rs265,000 per metric ton.

The depreciation also contributed to substantial increases in the revised cost estimates of the Diamer Bhasha Dam and Dasu Hydropower Project, adding hundreds of billions of rupees to their projected expenses.

According to details shared with the National Assembly, the PC-I cost of the Diamer Bhasha Dam increased from Rs479 billion to Rs1,121 billion, marking a rise of Rs642 billion, primarily due to exchange rate fluctuations.

Similarly, the estimated cost of the Dasu Hydropower Project rose from Rs486 billion to Rs1,740 billion, representing an increase of approximately 258 percent.