The Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet in its meeting on September 10, 2008 approved 40 mmcfd gas for the 175 mw rental power project, whose credentials are not even available at its own website.
Sources told Business Recorder that a ''Favoured project'' has been processed by the Private Power Infrastructure Board (PPIB), with an extraordinary speed never seen before. A government official who was present in the ECC meeting was shocked when he was apprised about what had happened in the previous ECC meeting, which was presided over by Finance Minister Naveed Qamar.
The ''efficiency'' of the PPIB can be gauged from the fact that the company had written a letter to the PPIB on August 19, 2008, showing interest in establishing a ''rental power'' project which, supposedly, would start commercial operations by June 2009, premised on securing a three-year agreement with the purchaser, Pepco.
PPIB, showing its ''efficiency'', forwarded the copy of the proposal to Petroleum and Natural Resources Secretary for allocation of gas, who in turn sent the summary to the ECC for approval of gas for the project.
Interestingly, when this correspondent searched the site of the company on the internet, as mentioned in the letter, it was found that no such company was registered. When this scribe called the listed telephone for the company no one attended the phone. This company was not even listed in the SECP''s list of registered companies.
An insider told Business Recorder that two of the top officials of a ministry were regularly meeting every evening in the office of a chartered accountant, situated in F-7 Markaz where such fictitious projects are formulated. He said that such ''companies'' win contracts through ''influence'' and then sublet the project to other parties on huge commissions.
The sponsors of the company, in a letter, said that it had the expertise in management, development and consulting for various national and internationally scaled projects. "With a dedicated team of professionals and expertise from local as well as international resources we are experts in projects of all scales," the firm claimed.
The proposed plant would be ''based'' on General Electric (GE) generators ''LM 6000 A'' (or equivalent), burning gas. Exact plant configuration would be finalised in the development phase, the company further clarified.
The ECC in its meeting on September 10 approved gas allocation of 20 mmcfd on the recommendations of Ministry of Defence for DHA Cogen Limited (DCL) power project which would provide additional power to KESC by mid-2010 along with supply of portable water for residents of DHA.
In addition, another request was made by Aiden Ventures (AV) for setting up a power plant at Dadu, requiring gas allocation. PPIB and Ministry of Water and Power had requested the Petroleum Ministry for confirmation of 40 mmcfd gas for a period of three years on round the year basis.
Another request of First Tri Star Modarba for 110 mw plant at Hawkes Bay, Karachi, was received from the PPIB, asking for confirmation of availability of 20 mmcfd of gas against the gas allocation withdrawn from two IPPs sponsored by Tapal and Fauji Koranji.
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