LAHORE: Federal Minister for Water and Power Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar said on Saturday that power generation was being switched over from thermal to coal with the cooperation of China due to which the capacity of power Generation Companies (GENCOs) would improve.
Talking to the media at Allama Iqbal International Airport, he said the government was trying to overcome electricity shortage and in the second phase the tariff of electricity would be brought down.
Answering the questions by the mediamen on loadshedding during the holy month of Ramazan, he said the government was trying to end loadsheding completely in Ramazan, however uniterrupted electricity supply would be ensured during Sehri and Iftar times.
"I cannot give a deadline for ending loadshedding " he said.
He said the government had worked day and night to overcome the shortage of fuel like gas and oil for power generation units and now it had succeeded in this regard.
He was of the view that loadshedding had been reduced and further it would be reduced gradually in future.
To a question, he said it was right of the department to ensure the recovery of revenue from the provinces but the major problem was recovery from private parties and not a single penny would be written off to the private parties. "An amount of Rs 166 billion is overdue from the private parties," he added.
To another question, he said that he was always ready to talk to Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif as he has family relations with Sharif family.
To a question about rights of electricity generation by the provinces, he said the provinces demanded sovereign guarantee from the State Bank and the issue had been discussed in the cabinet and Committee of Common Interest (CCI) meeting, adding the misunderstandings of the provinces regarding this issue would soon be removed.
He said power theft was also an issue which should be resolved, adding that power theft of about Rs 300 billion could not be tolerated.
Responding to a question about reduction in tariff, he said that tariff had been reduced and its effect would be after 45 days.
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