Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has directed the Cabinet Division to include six members from private sector in the newly constituted Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) for better planning, it is learnt. The Prime Minister had given these directions at a recent Cabinet meeting and asked the Secretary Cabinet Division that AEDB Chairman should give a detailed presentation to the Cabinet.
The Cabinet after discussion on the proposal directed that section 6 of the draft bill should be formulated to ensure dynamism in the membership of the board and provide flexibility to the government to enable it to respond to the requirements of changing circumstances by allowing it to charge the board members without bringing change in the law every time, sources added.
In another meeting the PM had asked the AEDB to accord priority to development of wind, solar and hydel energy, and set a target of 10 percent share on national installed electricity capacity from alternative/ renewable energy sources by the year 2015.
The salient features of the draft bill of AEDB are as under: -
i) The board shall facilitate renewable energy development by attracting private sector investment, public-private partnerships and establishing demonstration projects. It will develop policies and strategies for consideration of the government to promote renewable technologies. It will also act as a co-ordinating agency for commercial applications of alternative/ renewable technology.
ii) The board of directors shall consist of chairman and 15 members. The chairman shall be appointed by the federal government who shall be an eminent professional of engineering background with known integrity and competence. The members will be ex-officio appointees representing concerned ministries/ divisions. In addition, there will be two technical members and six members from the private sector.
iii) A non-lapsable alternative energy fund shall be established. The funding from the government will cease when the board will be able to generate sufficient funds of its own to meet its administrative expenses and development projects.
iv) The accounts of the board shall be properly maintained and audited by a reputed firm of charted accountants, appointed by the board in consultations with Auditor General of Pakistan. However, the Auditor General may also conduct external audit of the board.
It may be mentioned here that that Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET) would focus on research techniques and processes, while AEDB would be engaged in policy, planning and project facilitation and co-ordination.
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