According to a recent report, the federal government is considering allowing provinces and private sectors to generate more than 50 MW without federal approval. At the same time, however, the federal government has placed a condition that the distribution of electricity will be the responsibility of the national transmission and distribution companies under the control and ownership of the federal government.
Whoever has made this condition in the federal government’s energy policy is not interested in the welfare of the people and does not want the country to overcome the energy crisis. I think if the provinces and private sector are allowed to distribute electricity, the line losses, thefts, recovery from government departments, corruption in distribution cases, mismanagement and all the other main causes of load shedding will be solved.
I do not understand why the federal government is unable to comprehend monopoly as one of main causes of depriving the consumers from their right of choice. Only the competition and free market policy encourages foreign investors in the present global economy. Pakistan with a meltdown economy, unable to generate revenue to meet the government’s administrative expenses, can get billions of dollars to invest in new energy generation projects.
During the last four years, the federal government has not been able to find money to solve the circular debts problems. How can it be believed that it will be able to invest in power generation projects?
S T HUSSAIN
Lahore
