Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Energy in Islamabad today.
Secretary Water & Power briefed the meeting on the surge in power demand due to early rise in temperatures this season and dip in water level in the reservoirs. The meeting was also briefed about the existing power demand and supply situation, load management plan and timelines for various ongoing power projects. It was informed that a total of 5,710 Megawatts would be added to the system by the end of 2017. The issues of circular debt, recoveries and line losses were also discussed.
Secretary Petroleum & Natural Resources briefed the meeting on fuel and gas supply to the power sector and the provision of new gas connections to domestic, industrial and commercial users.
The Prime Minister emphasized that it was the highest priority of the government to completely eliminate load-shedding in the shortest possible time. The government has steadfastly worked in the last three years to achieve their cherished goal post and all the base work for achieving this target has been completed. “With more than 8,000 Megawatts of new generation scheduled to come into the national grid before June 2018, we are well on-course for a load-shedding free Pakistan, said the PM. The government, he said, is not only focusing on the prevailing energy shortfalls in Pakistan, but is determined to provide for the growing future energy requirements of the country.
The Prime Minister directed early completion of power projects without compromising on efficiency and quality of work. The PM also directed to enhance coordination among different government organizations to facilitate end consumers. “No laxity would be tolerated with regard to timelines for completion of ongoing projects”, emphasized the Prime Minister.
The Cabinet Committee on Energy approved new Re-gasified Liquid Natural Gas (RLNG) based gas connections for domestic, industrial and commercial consumers. The recommendation of the Cabinet Committee on Energy shall be placed before next meeting of the Federal Cabinet for ratification.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Finance, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Water & Power, Mr. Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Planning, Mr. Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Minister Punjab and other senior government officials.
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