TUESDAY DECEMBER 30: Inordinate delay: Prime Minister expresses displeasure at energy ministries

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday expressed his displeasure at the Energy Ministries for inordinate delay in energy sector projects and decided to hold another meeting of the committee during the current week. The Prime Minister was given an overview of the power projects planned to be completed by 2021 and briefed on short-, medium- and long-term power generation projects to be run on wind, solar, gas and hydel power.
Well informed sources told Business Recorder that the Ministries of Petroleum, Water and Power and Planning are allegedly working in isolation due to which most of the energy sector projects are far behind estimated schedules. Most of the energy sector projects are being funded by China.
According to an official statement, presiding over the sixth meeting of Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE), the Prime Minister said that efforts must be geared up to produce energy at low cost to make it affordable for the common man. Electricity supply should be improved by the summer of 2015 to provide relief to people, he added. He said all hurdles in the way of speedy power generation should be overcome to provide maximum relief to people, while dedicated efforts should be made to complete all planned projects within stipulated deadlines. He also welcomed international investment in country's energy sector.
The Prime Minister said that keeping in view the urgency of this matter the next meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Energy would be called during the current week. Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi refused to comment on issues discussed in the meeting, saying that "cabinet decisions are supposed to be confidential".
The meeting was attended by Minister for Finance, Ishaq Dar; Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi; Minister for Water & Power, Khawaja Muhammad Asif; Minister of State for Petroleum, Jam Kamal; Minister of State for Water and Power, Abid Sher Ali; Advisor to PM on National Security, Sartaj Aziz; Special Assistant to PM on Foreign Affairs, Tariq Fatemi; Special Assistant to PM, Dr Musaddiq Malik and Pakistan's Ambassador to China, Masood Khalid.