Tag: Power

ISLAMABAD - The government notified the imposition of a 2 percent surcharge on the power tariff on Tuesday with immediate effect. The surcharge was finalised after a meeting of the ministries of law and water and power, an official source said, adding that a similar surcharge would be imposed in April and May.
The government has opted to impose the surcharge because it had already passed on the complete determined tariff by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority

ISLAMABAD - With the lingering domestic gas shortages and higher international oil prices, the country's electricity generation is likely to face a deficit of more than 5,000 megawatts (MW) in summers. An official source at the Ministry of Water and Power said the shortage of electricity was expected to increase significantly with the beginning of hot weather from April as the generation units were already facing a shortage of gas and lacked financial resources to purchase the

ISLAMABAD - The government has convened a meeting of the ministries of Water and Power and Law on Tuesday to resolve the issue of imposition of two percent surcharge per unit on electricity from April 1. An official source said the meeting was called after the Ministry of Law and Ministry of Water and Power failed to devise a mechanism for imposing the surcharge. The Ministry of Law had refused vetting the summary of the Ministry of Power, saying the reasons cited for the surcharge

KARACHI - The 232 megawatts (MW) ship-mounted rental power plants (RPPs) that arrived in Karachi in November 2010 are expected to start power generation for the national grid this month.
Interestingly, despite being anchored in Karachi, the power generated by the RPPs would not benefit the load shedding-hit commercial and industrial hub of the country, as they are a project of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and the supply from the plants would be diverted to the

ISLAMABAD - After having passed on the complete tariff hike on to the consumers by the National Electric Power Regulatory Power (NEPRA), the government would on Monday (tomorrow) notify an imposition of two percent surcharge on power tariff, applicable from April 1.
An official source said the IMF had asked for an increase in power tariff, but the government informed that the determined power tariff had been completely passed on to the consumers. The power tariff could be

KARACHI - A shutter-down strike was observed in almost all cities and towns of Sindh on Friday in response to a strike call by the PPP to protest the SC's verdict declaring NAB Chairman Justice (r) Deedar Hussain Shah's appointment illegal.
A partial strike was observed in Karachi, as shops remained closed in many areas of the city - mostly Sindhi and Baloch-dominated areas - including Lyari, Shanti Nagar, Sachal Goth, Malir and Gulshan-e-Hadeed, and public transport was scarce.

SANAA - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Thursday bowed to pressure after a month of violent protests, but his pledge to devolve power to parliament was swiftly rejected as too late by the opposition. In a major speech delivered in a gravelly voice to tens of thousands of people at a stadium in the capital Sanaa, the veteran leader of the strategic US ally promised to hold a referendum on a new constitution later this year. He also ordered his security forces to ensure the

KARACHI - The Tajikistan government will cooperate with Pakistan for the establishment of power plants so that the persistent power shortage in the country can be overcome, said Tajikistan President Emomali Rehmonov on Wednesday. He said this while talking to Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah at a local hotel where Rehmonov is staying. The president of Tajikistan assured the chief minister that his country can establish 600MW hydel power plant while another power plant of 220MW would

LAHORE - Load-shedding will increase in the coming days as power demand is increasing because of the rising mercury, however, power generation is stagnant and there is little likehood it would increase before March 15, sources told Pakistan Today on Wednesday. Currently, the Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) is carrying out four-hour load shedding in urban areas and 10-hour load-shedding in rural areas. The demand is roaming around 11,700MW while production stands at 10,300MW

LAHORE - The shortage of gas supply to certain power plants is the main reason behind an increase in the power shortfall, Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) Director General (DG) Muhammad Khalid said on Tuesday. He was speaking at a weekly press conference at the WAPDA House. The PEPCO DG said that the company was facing a shortfall of 1,423MW, as production stood at 10,263MW and demand 11,686MW. Khalid said that hydel power plants were producing 3,973MW, thermal 1,577MW,

LAHORE - A petition was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday seeking court orders to restrain the federal government from further increasing the electricity prices and declare all taxes levied on electricity bills as unconstitutional. Rana Ilmddin filed the petition submitting that the unnecessary and illegal taxes imposed by the federal government had forced the people to commit suicides. He said that people were paying direct or indirect taxes on every commodity they

SANAA/ADEN - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Saturday reiterated that he would remain in power until his term ends in 2013, rejecting an opposition plan for him to step aside this year. "The peaceful and smooth transition of power is not carried out through chaos but through the will of the people expressed through elections," an official source at the presidential office said in a statement. The opposition on Friday said Saleh was sticking to an earlier plan to step down in

KARACHI - Power plants of 3,000MW are running on furnace oil in Pakistan, and if measures are taken to convert them to coal, the country would be in a position to save approximately $1 billion a year, said Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) Strategic Planning and Business Development Manager Muhammad Ammar Ali Talaat on Saturday. He was speaking at an Energy Awareness Conference, with the KESC as the lead sponsor, at the NED University.
The conference was aimed at creating

KARACHI - Pakistan and Central Asian States (CAs), especially Tajikistan, will open a new chapter of trade relations by implementing various proposed options to boost bilateral trade. Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon, with other related ministries/officials, will visit Pakistan on March 10, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Visit of the Tajik president was followed by visits of both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to Dushanbe in the last two years.

PICASSO - In January this year, the Chief Executive of the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) told newsmen that the requirement of electricity for more than 2.25 million consumers in his region was 1,100MW against which GEPCO was providing 800MW, the shortfall being 300MW. He went on to announce that a 425MW power station had been established at Nandipur, which would start functioning within the month.
The Chief Executive of GEPCO appears to have taken the implementation

LAHORE - Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan has flayed power politics in Punjab and termed it against principles. He was addressing a press conference here at a local hotel on Sunday. He said that the PML-N's 10-point agenda had no solution to terrorism and drone attacks.
He said that injustice was the main cause of rampant corruption in the country, adding that during the last three days government borrowing had touched high levels. Imran said that 2011 could be an

LAHORE - In response to the PML-N's decision to part ways with the PPP in Punjab, PPP leaders on Friday renewed their pledge to continue politics of reconciliation in the province. However, other political forces called the move "a start of a new power game in Punjab".
Federal Minister for Labour and Manpower Khurshid Shah said the PPP would play the opposition's role in Punjab, adding however, that it would continue its policy of reconciliation. He said PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif