Energy ministry: the first forgotten promise

National media is full of praise over the announcement of a lean federal cabinet. With 16 federal ministers, nine state ministers and two advisers to the Prime Minister, the new cabinet is comprised significantly fewer members than the 44-member cabinet that had headed the previous government.
But while many frivolous ministries created to appease coalition partners have been wrapped up, the integration of the Ministry of Water & Power with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources has been skipped, despite promises from the PML-N.
In the PML-N Election Manifesto 2013, the first point on the partys agenda for resolving the energy crisis was the "Creation of a Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources through the merger of Ministries of Water and Power and Petroleum and Natural Resources."
However, in the freshly inducted cabinet, the two ministries have been kept separate. Khawaja Muhammad Asif has received the portfolio of Water and Power, while the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources will be headed by Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
Although Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will spearhead the fight against the energy crisis personally; the fact remains that a promise made before the elections has been overlooked. And it is not just that a vow has been broken; the importance of an integrated ministry has been highlighted by independent experts.
The Integrated Energy Plan 2009-22 prepared by renowned energy experts of the land had also been categorical in its recommendation that "for an integrated approach on energy, a single Ministry/Authority would be needed."
The benefit of the doubt may be given to the incoming government because the establishment of such a unified platform requires an act of parliament. However the 100-day plan for energy as reported by Reuters news agency does not make any mention of such intent either.
"When the Pakistan Business Council rated the PML-N manifesto highly in its pre-election analysis, the promise of an integrated energy ministry was a key consideration," CEO Progas Energy, Abbas Bilgrami told BR Research. He added that failure to follow through "will send bad signals to the industry and the rest of the world."
For a pro-business government planning to woo local and foreign investors, tossing the integrated energy plan to the bin of promises is a bad idea.