‘PML-N govt to add 10,603MW electricity by 2018’

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Tuesday said that 10,603MW electricity would be added to the national grid by the end of September 2017, while other projects to generate 14,000MW of electricity were also in the pipeline.
Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, the finance minister said the energy projects to be completed by September 30, 2017 also include the Tarbela-IV Extension and the country’s ‘Signature Project’ Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project. “ Following the directives of the prime minister, I have made financial arrangements for the Neelum-Jhelum project during the last two months,” he said.
He regretted that due to poor planning in the past in ethe xecution of the project, the cost of the project enhanced considerably while international donors also withdraw their support to finance the plan. The minister while responding to a point order from Shaikh Rashid Ahmad pertaining to energy crisis, said the PML-N Government was not working on narrow vision rather it was looking beyond the year 2018. “More energy projects to produce 14,000 MW of electricity are in different stages and will be completed after the year 2018,” he said.
The projects to be completed after three years include Diamir Bhasha, Dasu Dam, civil nuclear energy projects and Rs34 billion energy plans being executed under the China Pak Energy Corridor (CPEC).
He said at present the State Bank’s interest rate is at the lowest level of 7% in history of 42 years said saying the Government plans to further bring it down to 6.5%.Regarding giving incentives to the industrial sector, he said the Government was always ready to extend support to investors.