LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday chaired a meeting of experts in which various immediate measures were discussed to minimise electricity loadshedding. Sources in the PML-N told Business Recorder that the meeting decided to use all available options to tackle the electricity crisis in minimum possible time.
It also expressed resolve to develop alternative renewable energy sources, such as solar, bagasse, biogas and biomass projects. The meeting also discussed investment avenues to increase electricity generation in the country by announcing incentives to the foreign and local investors. The sources claimed that the meeting decided that investors in China, Turkey and other countries would be invited for investment in power sector.
The meeting also evolved a comprehensive planning to provide immediate relief to electricity consumers soon after taking charge by the PML-N government. It also decided to recover outstanding dues from different public and private sector consumers of electricity. The PML-N government would also initiate work on Nandipur and Chichoki Malian power plants which were withheld due to non-release of equipment during the PPP-led coalition government, the sources said. Addressing the meeting, Nawaz said the issue of loadshedding would be addressed on war-footing as he put emphasis on bringing Pakistan's national institutions at par with global standards.
He said appointments of heads of institutions would be made on merit in a transparent way while the board members of PIA and other state owned enterprises would also be replaced with dedicated persons. Among others, the meeting was attended by Shahbaz Sharif, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Khawaja Mohammad Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Sartaj Aziz and Shaukat Tareen. Federal Minister for Water & Power, Dr Mussadiq Malik also met with Nawaz Sharif and briefed him about electricity shortfall in the country.
Sources claimed that Dr Malik also apprised the PML-N President about inefficiency, corruption and other impediments which were causing electricity crisis in the country. The experts informed the participants of the meeting that the previous government had almost doubled electricity prices to eliminate subsidies but because of poor governance and inability to improve the efficiency of the energy sector, the losses have actually increased and the energy crisis has become more serious.
Production, transmission and distribution losses have increased and the distribution companies have been unable to recover their full dues (arrears estimated at Rs 499 billion in 2012) or reduce theft of electricity. This situation led to a chronic so-called 'circular debt problem' of Rs 500 billion in 2012. The sources claimed that the meeting decided to resolve the issue of circular debt in order to enhance electricity production in the country and to reduce gap between demand and supply.
The experts also emphasised the need for modernising existing thermal units to improve their generating capacity which was possible at relatively low cost. The multidimensional energy crisis will require effective and sustainable solutions through short-term measures and medium-term plans which must be undertaken in a co-ordinated manner; not just plan to fill the gap of 6000MW capacity that exists today, but plan for the increased demand that our growing population and growing economy will generate.
One of the participants of the meeting called for taking drastic measures to tackle circular debt and system losses to end loadshedding in minimum time. Moreover, Nawaz Sharif chaired another meeting in which targets for Budget 2013-14 were discussed. It was decided to provide relief to masses by extending various incentives. The PML-N is considering extending soft loans to unemployed youth in the Budget 2013-14.