ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal has barred the Central Power Purchasing Agency -Guaranteed (CPPA-G) from capacity payment deductions of CPEC IPPs as plants are unable to import coal due to forex scarcity, well informed sources told Business Recorder.
He issued these directions at a virtual meeting held on March 25, 2003 attended by Chief Economist/ Project Director CPEC, MDPPIB, CEO CPPA-G, Energy Specialist CPEC Secretariat and CEOs of Port Qasim and Sahiwal power plants.
During the meeting, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives endorsed the continuous efforts of all CPEC IPPs for helping Pakistan. The respective CEOs also acknowledged the support and facilitation from concerned Ministries.
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According to sources, after detailed deliberations, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, directed Power Division to sit with respective CPEC IPPs on Monday (today) and find out way forward of two following issue keeping in view of all technical and legal aspects;(i) immediate stoppage of capacity payments deductions because of forex unavailability for buying coal and;(ii) settlement mechanism of already accumulated capacity payments deduction.
CPEC IPPs have raised the issue of deduction of capacity payments at every forum including with the Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif but CPPA-G flouted their directions.
Recently, Chinese Charges dā Affairs also wrote a letter to Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, seeking his help in this regard.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023