CPEC projects hope for Pakistan amid power shortage

Islamabad: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) energy projects will soon get Pakistan rid of power shortage.

Flanked by Prime Minister’s Adviser on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira, Minister for Information Technology Syed Aminul Haq, and Minister for Communications Maulana Asad Mahmood, she told a news conference after the federal cabinet meeting that the government was working on war footings to eliminate the power shortage and CPEC projects will play a key role to achieve this goal. The federal cabinet meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The Information Minister maintained that CPEC’s Shanghai Electrical coal and Karot Hydel power projects were not made operational on time due to Pakistan’s slow pace in the past but will be completed soon.

“These projects will help Pakistan achieve the target of meeting the power needs,” she added.

Citing the 1,200 MW Trimmu power plant which was supposed to be accomplished by March 2020, she mentioned it could not be made operational but the government was now working on this.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said the cabinet approved the three and a half hours daily load-shedding schedule till June 15. With more power plants becoming functional till then, the load-shedding duration would be reduced to three hours, from June 25-29 to two and a half hours and from June 30 to two hours.

The minister mentioned the cabinet also discussed renewable energy projects, including solar and wind energy so that cheap energy could be produced.

As regards the steps proposed for the conservation of power and energy, she said there was a suggestion of 33 per cent reduction in the petroleum quota for government officials, but the cabinet decided 40 percent cut. The decision would also be applicable on the cabinet members.

At a time when the common people were facing problems due to the energy crisis, it was imperative for the cabinet members set an example by conserving energy, she added.

The minister informed that the cabinet decided to restore the Saturday weekly off with immediate effect as two holidays would save US $ 386 million a year, and reduce the import bill by Pakistani Rs 77 billion.

She stated that Prime Minister Sharif constituted a committee to review the work from home proposal for Friday so that efficiency should not be affected.

The decision for early closure of markets, she added, was deferred as the matter would be taken up with the provincial governments in the National Economic Council meeting on Wednesday, and the business community would also be taken into the confidence on it.

The minister remarked that switching off street lights on alternate days also came under discussion and it was decided to coordinate with the provincial authorities in that regard.

“The Federal Cabinet has accorded approved administrative and austerity measures to overcome load-shedding, and conserve fuel and energy,” she explained.