HYDERABAD: President of Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders & Small Industry Muhammad Farooq Shaikhani has said that the main reason for the electricity crisis in Pakistan is the contracts made with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) along with electricity stealing and the consequences are always borne by the traders and the people in the form of non-availability of electricity and expensive electricity.
He said that according to the statistics of Wikipedia, Pakistan’s electricity generation capacity as of June 30, 2022 is 43,775 MW, which includes 26,683 MW thermal, 10,635 MW hydro, 1,838 MW wind, 630 MW solar, 369 MW Biogas and 3,620 MW nuclear.
He said that the total number of independent power producers in Pakistan is 49, out of which 41 are thermal plants and 8 are hydro plants, which together generate about 19,000 MW of electricity, while Pakistan’s electricity consumption has never exceeded from 31,000 MW.
This means that if the government of Pakistan wants, it can review the contracts with these Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and reduce the production of electricity by up to 10,000 MW from these Independent Power Producers, which will not only affect positively Pakistan’s dollars reserves but it will also have great effects on the country’s economy.
He said that the price per unit of electricity has exceeded 60 rupees, which is unbearable for the businessmen. People’s homes cannot be lit and the industry of the business community cannot run with such expensive electricity.
On this, the people and the business community recorded their peaceful protest across the country, but the result was that the HESCO authorities started legal actions against the people and businessmen for stealing electricity and not paying the bills, while according to the government statistics, 34 caror free units of electricity are used by government institutions and their officers, which also burdens the public and businessmen with billions of rupees.
He said that due to these IPPs agreements, the country has suffered immense irreparable damage that it has not only made Pakistan indebted to institutions like the IMF, but has put Pakistan’s integrity at risk and brought it to the brink of destruction and all these anti-national agreements are tantamount to treason against the state.
Farooq Shaikhani appealed to all the higher authorities that all those who entered into these agreements and benefited from them should be investigated and punished as per the law so the supply of cheap and quality electricity to the people and the business community.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023