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Govt very keen to resolve IPPs issues: WB official told

ASIF FAROOQI

ISLAMABAD: Principal energy specialist at the World Bank was given an extensive briefing on government's new policy initiative to resolve the long-standing disputes with the independent power producers, by the officials of Private Power and Infrastructure Board on Tuesday morning, official sources said.

Marc Hictner visited the PPIB offices for exchange of notes on different issues confronting Pakistan's energy sector, including the IPPs controversy, Board officials said. "The WB official was thoroughly briefed on the policy the government has recently adopted to resolve the tariff dispute with the power producers," sources said.

WB energy specialist was told that the present government was very keen to resolve the dispute with the IPPs, which has badly disturbed the investment atmosphere in the country. "Different proposals are under study to wind up the controversy effectively," the sources said.

Fresh agreement on the basis of new proposals had been signed with nine of the power producers by the military government, the WB official was informed. PPIB officials said the government was doing its best to work out the disputed issues with the Hub Power Company as well. "But over the year this issue has become so complex and complicated that there was no easy way out of it," PPIB officials reportedly said while adding that the government was waiting for the final legal verdict by the Supreme Court on the Hubco dispute.

Meetings with the PPIB officials are part of WB exercise which it is undertaking to gauge the performance of its loan to Pakistan's energy sector. The WB has organised a workshop on Wednesday on the performance of the energy sector -I and energy sector-II loans which were extended to the government over the years.

WB mission has been seeking briefings on the issues in Pakistan's energy sector from other government departments including the water and power and petroleum ministries.