ISLAMABAD: The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has appreciated the Power Division over the successful declaration of the Competitive Market Operations Date (CMOD) by NEPRA, calling it a major milestone in the country’s power sector reforms.
In a letter addressed to Federal Minister for Power, Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, FPCCI stated that the CMOD marks a defining moment in Pakistan’s transition from policy formulation to implementation of a competitive electricity market.
The federation noted that the move towards a transparent, competitive, and market-based electricity framework had long been awaited by the business and industrial community. And welcomed the commitment to open access, non-discriminatory participation, and enhanced accountability across the electricity value chain.
The phased introduction of bilateral contracting through competitive auctions, FPCCI said, is expected to improve efficiency, promote innovation, and strengthen sector governance.
The development has also generated renewed confidence among businesses, with expectations that these reforms will lead to cost optimisation, improved reliability, and a more predictable energy regime — key factors for industrial growth, export competitiveness, and import substitution.
However, FPCCI urged the Power Division to review and recalibrate the Incremental Consumption Package.
While appreciating the intent behind the initiative, the federation pointed out that its current design excludes a number of industrial consumers.
It noted that existing load factor benchmarks and load enhancement criteria do not adequately reflect actual industrial operating conditions and expansion patterns, leaving a significant segment of genuine consumers unable to qualify.
“We believe that with appropriate adjustments, the package can achieve broader participation, enhance industrial consumption, and contribute more effectively to system utilisation and overall sector sustainability,” FPCCI stated.
Meanwhile, the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), in a separate letter, also lauded the government’s move, terming the CMOD a defining milestone in the power sector’s reform journey and a critical step towards implementation of long-awaited market reforms.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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