ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has urged the government to expedite the implementation of the Electricity Distribution Efficiency Improvement Project (EDEIP) as per agreed timelines as power sector reforms are integral to this operation and a significant amount of the loan.
In a letter to Secretary Economic Affairs Division (EAD) Dr Kazim Niaz, World Bank’s Acting Operations Manager Pakistan, Amena Raja, has appreciated assistance and support to Implementation Support Mission which visited Pakistan from September 26 to October 18, 2022 and November 14-25, 2022 and follow-up discussion during December 2022.
The World Bank maintained that procurement activities under the project have been initiated and look forward to the award of the first set of contracts under Component 3 to engage Project Implementation and Management Support Consultants (PIMSCs) and procure safety vehicles/ equipment by March 2023.
According to the Bank, the PIMSCs are going to play a key role in preparing project documents including Environmental and Social (E&S) instruments (as may be required) and assist with the bidding for subprojects, particularly under components of EDEIP.
The Bank maintains that while the hiring of PIMSCs is in process, MEPCO, HESCO and PESCO should conduct the E&S and land acquisition and resettlement screenings for each subproject to determine the requirements and finalize the designs so that bidding for packages expected to have minimal E&S issues can be initiated during the first year of project implementation. For this, PIEs will need to strengthen the project teams with support from other relevant departments (technical, safety directorate, planning, etc.), fill the vacant position in the Project Management Units (PMUS) with full-time dedicated and qualified staff, and engage individual consultants by January 31, 2023 to help complete the requirements including preparation of E&S documents ESMP, ESIA, RPs, etc. for subprojects. PlEs should send a request to the Bank to add individual consultants to the procurement plan which can be financed through Component 3 of the project.
The Bank further says that opening of the Designated Accounts needs to be expedited with support from the MoE as this is impacting project disbursements. PIEs should also start sending the Quarterly Progress Reports from April 2023 covering a period till March 31, 2023 and thereafter within 30 days from the end of each quarter to comply with this legal covenant of the loan agreement.
Power sector reforms are integral to this operation and a significant amount of the loan has been allocated under Component 4 (procurement plan) to support MoE with governance and institutional reforms and market reforms. While Project Steering Committee (PSC), Project Implementation Unit (PIU), and Procurement Committee have been notified, the first procurement plan to initiate the activities as envisaged under Component 4 is still awaited.
A list of key actions from the Mission aide-memoire that was shared separately by the task team are as follows: (i) fill the vacant positions in PMUs with full-time dedicated staff, in particular for E&S (timeline January 31, 2023); (ii) carryout E&S screening for priority subproject to be implemented in year 1 by January 2023; (iii) operationalize the GRM by March 2023; (iv) Life and Fire Security Risk Assessment by June 2023; (v) opening of the designated accounts and submission of first account for advance (timeline January 2023); (xi) annual work plan and budget (pending) by January 2023; (vii) hiring of PIMSCs by March 2023; (viii) procurement plan for component 4 (March 2023); (ix) launch first goods contract(June 2023; (x) award of the first contract for improved O&M and safety (June 2023), and(xi) the first QPR to submitted by April, covering a period till March 2023 and then each quarter (April 2023).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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