Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Friday directed Ministries of Petroleum & Natural Resources, Water & Power and Finance Division to ensure that an additional electricity of 2,400-2,500 MW comes to the system by February 2015, both in the case of LNG and new on-site generation.
Nawaz was informed that the first consignment of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import would reach Pakistan by February 2015; and it would be made available to the power sector. The Prime Minister was chairing a joint ministerial meeting of the energy sector here. The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers for Water and Power, Khawaja Mohammad Asif; Interior, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan; Information and Broadcasting, Senator Pervaiz Rashid; Planning, Development and Reforms, Ahsan Iqbal; Petroleum and Natural Resources, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Railways, Khawaja Saad Rafique.
The Prime Minister gave approval to making the consignment available to Kot Addu Power Plant which will produce 1,200 MW, as well as four other private power plants - Orient, Saif, Sapphire and Halmore - collectively producing 800 MW of electricity. The consignment will also be provided to Jamshoro power plant for producing 400-500 MW of electricity.
Work on projects, including Fast Track LNG Terminal, SSGC LNG Terminal, Gwadar Nawabshah LNG Terminal & Pipeline, Private LNG Terminals, GEI, PGPL and Bahria to import 2BCFD LNG, enough to generate up to 15,000 MW, will be expedited. The Prime Minister was also informed that there are opportunities for producing affordable power from mobile mounted on-site power plants through 26 gas fields in the country having a potential of 1000 MW. The Prime Minister also directed relevant agencies to implement the already provided tax relief in the LNG policy.
He said line losses and theft of electricity should be controlled at all costs and serious steps be taken against theft of gas, irrespective of official status of the persons involved. The Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Water and Power to ensure that in future, if bills are issued without meter-reading, it will be specified on the bill that this is a 'presumptive bill', and any excess amount charged will be adjusted when the meter is read; the meter will be read at least once every three months.
The Prime Minister said the demand of the people to have affordable electricity is justified and also a promise of the PML-N government, vowing to regularly chair meetings of relevant ministries for a better co-ordination and to achieve the desired results within the stipulated timeframe. He said all those working in relevant departments have to work 24/7. He said any lapse will not go unpunished and any good work they do will not go unrewarded.-PR
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