Govt’s committee holds meeting with IPPs for tariff rationalisation

• The IPPs will nominate their members while the Government side will be represented by SAPM Shahzad Qasim.
• The Federal Minister in his remarks said that electricity was the backbone of a country’s economy and played a crucial role in that regard.

ISLAMABAD: In the wake of the economic challenges faced by Pakistan's economy and increasing energy prices, meetings were conducted by the Government Committee on the direction from Cabinet Committee on Energy with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) under 1994 and 2002 Power Policy for their contributions in rationalisation of tariff as part of their contribution in the country’s economic development.

The sessions were chaired by Federal Minister for Power and Petroleum Omar Ayub Khan, said a press release issued here Thursday.

The meeting deliberated upon various options and possible solutions in this regard, it further said.

The meeting decided to set up a technical committee comprising of members from IPPs and Government for discussion and final decisions.

The IPPs will nominate their members while the Government side will be represented by SAPM Shahzad Qasim, Additional Secretaries of Ministries of Finance, Power and Law Divisions, MD, NTDC,CEO, CPPA and MD, PPIB.

The Committee will immediately start its work and present its report in the next few weeks.

The meetings were conducted in a cordial atmosphere and all the stakeholders presented their views openly.

The meeting was participated by SAPM, Shahzad Qasim, Secretary Power Irfan Ali, Secretary Finance Kamarn Naveed Baluch, Senior officials of Power Division, PPIB, CPPA, Finance, Law and PEPCO.

The Federal Minister in his remarks said that electricity was the backbone of a country’s economy and played a crucial role in that regard. He said that over the years the power tariff has been increasing which needs to be addressed by the IPPs as well as the Government owned power generators.