"The Prime Minister has asked PPIB and Wapda to deal with the IPPs positively and resolve their genuine issues on priority basis, and if there is any hurdle, to approach the highest office," said one of the participants of meeting held under the chairmanship of Shaukat Aziz here on Thursday.
The Prime Minister said on the occasion that Pakistan urgently needs power to meet commercial and domestic demand, and the existing IPPs having ideally placed infrastructure, should expand it and generate more power for selling it to the utilities, the official added.
According to the official, IPPs were told that the government would prefer setting up of dual-fired thermal power plants, however, fuel requirements of these units would be fulfilled on priority basis, whether these were of gas, furnace oil or water.
"The government will reorient PPIB, so that not only the existing IPPs are facilitated for enhancing capacity, but also new IPPs encouraged and facilitated to invest in generation of power," said an official announcement.
Minster for Water and Power Liaquat Ali Jatoi apprised the meeting that 17 Letters of Intent (LoIs) have been issued to new IPPs. Wapda chairman Tariq Hameed said that the utility was ready to buy more power and would facilitate and assist the IPPs, said the announcement.
Asked if the representative of Japan Power Generation Company raised issues regarding revision of tariff, the official said that the representative remained silent as they have already sold their share to other investors.
Replying to another question, the official said that the second in command of Uch Power Company and Kapco did not attend the meeting due to other engagements.