Without stringent conditions: government urged to allow private sector to produce electricity

The Attock Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) on Wednesday said government should take a bold step to resolve energy crisis by allowing private sector to produce electricity without stringent conditions so that economic downturn can be contained.
Government has failed to tackle shortfall due to lack of efficiency, resources and capacity which is pushing country in the Stone Age, it said. Constitutional restriction that bars provinces and private sector to generate more than 50 mw without Federal government approval should be lifted, said Tariq Mehmood, President Attock Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Moreover, the bureaucratic inertia is highly discouraging for the private sector which wants to generate electricity to keep their industry from closure, he added.
He said that energy crisis demands out of the box solutions but authorities are not ready to accept any change which has resulted in continuity of monumental losses in distribution, transmission, collections and above all the deliberate theft.
Tariq Mehmood said that major power plants of country are running below 17 percent efficiency which is result of resisting reforms proposed by international institutions. The major problem with the energy sector is not one of generation but inefficiency and mismanagement he said adding that circular debt speaks volumes about their skills.
He said that Pakistan's energy mix is steadily tilting in favour of thermal generation, the most expansive means of power production, while cheaper alternatives are not getting due attention.
Tariq Mehmood, who is also Director Pak-UK Business Council and Chairman FPCCI Committee on Health, said that conspiracies have hindered power generation from coal since years which is unfortunate.
The share of coal in the global electricity production remains at the top with 40 percent share, US, the largest producer satisfies it 50 percent demand through coal while China and India are second and third largest global coal-based electricity producers satisfying 79 percent and 69 percent demand from coal based plants, he said. France meets its 70 percent demand through nuclear energy while Norway satisfies its 95 percent demand through hydro power but our Ministry of Water and Power continue to ignore these sectors for obvious reasons.-PR