PAC informed: Japan Power Company caused Rs 5.47 billion losses to national exchequer

A parliamentary panel was informed on Tuesday that Japan Power Generation Company caused Rs 5.47 billion losses to national kitty by not operating 120 megawatts power plant during 2013-16. The officials of the Auditor General Pakistan (AGP) while briefing the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which met here under the chairmanship of Khursheed Ahmad Shah, said that the said plant remained shutdown over the aforementioned period and caused Rs 5.47 billion losses to national kitty.
The chairman committee asked the officials of the Ministry of Energy, Power Division, why the plant remained shut during the most challenging time; however, the officials failed to satisfy the panel. On the failure of the ministry officials to give appropriate response, the chairman committee snubbed them saying that no one is allowed to make false statements in the Parliament.
He added that the Supreme Court on false statement sent elected prime minister of Pakistan to home. Shah directed the Auditor General of Pakistan to conduct an inquiry into the matter and also submit report with the PAC within a week. Additional Secretary Ministry of Energy, Power Division, Zargham Eshaq Khan briefing the committee said that efforts are under way to recover this amount from Japan Power Generation Company through mediators.
Member Committee Syed Naveed Qamar asked the officials what amount so far has been recovered from the company. Zragham said that so far Rs 80 million have been recovered. On which Naveed Qamar asked who will pay the rest of the amount, adding the ministry must make all-out efforts to recover entire amount from the company.
Audit officials said Rs 3.4 billion financial losses incurred to national kitty by operating the plant on expensive furnace oil. The committee officials asked the ministry if most of the plants have been transferred on imported liquefied natural gas then other remaining plants should also be shifted on cheap fuels.
Briefing the panel, the officials of the Power Division said that during 2018 there will be no power load-shedding across the country except in those areas where recoveries are below a certain level. The officials said the country now has additional power production. The officials said that minimum power demand during winter stands at 9,000 megawatts, while maximum at 13,000 megawatts. They said at present the country is producing 2,000 megawatts of additional electricity.