Govt making full efforts to address power outages: Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Power Khurram Dastagir Khan on Thursday said the government was making all-out efforts to address the power outages issue in the country.

Addressing a press conference along with Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik, he said the current energy crisis was due to the mismanagement and bad governance of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government, which had neither made payment to the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) nor arranged fuel, including coal, LNG and furnace oil for power plants timely.

He said as many as four additional cargo ships of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), besides five of furnace oil had been arranged by the present government to address the fuel shortage for power plants. The government would procure more loads of furnace oil and RLNG to provide electricity to the people at affordable rates, he added.

He said RLNG-based Havelo Bahadur Shah Power Plant had to be shut down for necessary maintenance, which also caused increase in the electricity loadshedding. It would be made operationalised in a few days, he added.

Moreover, the minister said, a coal-based plant was also being revived after removing a technical fault, which would not only add more electricity to the system but also help improve power situation in the country.

The minister said the circular debt has also risen to Rs2,460 billion, which was almost half of it during the last PMLN government. He said in the past neither attention was given to power pilferage nor steps were taken for enhancing revenue collection by the power distribution companies (DISCOs). The present government was going to enhance the efficiency of DISCOs, he added.

Meanwhile, Dr Musadik Masood Malik on Thursday said the government, being cognizant of the growing energy needs of consumers in the sweltering months of May and June, had completed the procurement of seven additional cargoes of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

“We have purchased four additional cargoes for May and three for June, besides the normal procurement of LNG as per 1200 MMCFD consumption for the two months.

It means all the required LNG has been acquired, the minister said while addressing a news conference here along with Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan.

Highlighting incompetency of the past regime, Musadik said the PTI government procured 260 MMCFD (Million Cubic Feet per Day) of gas against the demand of 400 MMCFD in November last, 250-55 MMCFD against the need of 475 MMCFD in December, 134 MMCFD against the demand of 510 MMCFD in January and only 270 MMCFD against the requirement of 350 MMCFD in February. “Why they (PTI government) did not purchase the required LNG” No one has answer of it,” he added.