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  • Dec 7th, 2017
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Federal Minister for Power Division Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari said on Wednesday that national electricity plan is being devised to facilitate consumers who would be able to select the company of their own choice to get electricity.

"A National Electricity Policy is being formulated and it would be finalized after approval by the Council of Common Interests. An amendment in relevant law would be presented in the next session of the Parliament to encourage and allow competition in distribution and transmission sectors for the benefit of power consumers," said the minister while addressing the three-day Sustainable Development Conference of Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here on Wednesday.

He further said the Ministry of Power is being restructured with the addition of a professional wing to tackle technical issues of the power sector. However, he said there is a need to reform the distribution companies in order to decrease the circular debt and stressed the need for transparency in power supply of various DISCOs.

Meanwhile, Minister for Power Division has written a letter to provincial chief ministers seeking their cooperation and support in recoveries and against power theft in order to ensure zero load-shedding in more parts of the country. He proposed establishment of a joint task force by the federal and provincial governments for development of uniform measures, information sharing and improved coordination.

The minister wrote that support by the provincial governments for revenue collection and provision of security and policing will go a long way in improving the standards of living of people. He also suggested the provincial government to nominate officials to lead the efforts in this regard on their behalf.

While recognizing the support and assistance of the provincial governments, he said the federal government has been able to bring Pakistan out of an energy crisis on account of sufficient electricity being added to the national grid. The government and opposition parties must conduct a dialogue and build a consensus on a charter of economy to curtail the influence of politics in fiscal policy, said Rana Muhammad Afzal, Parliamentary Secretary for Finance, at a session titled 'Designing Better Federal and Provincial Tax Reforms.'

On demand and supply-side issues in Pakistan's fiscal structure, Rana Afzal stressed the need for communicating the importance of paying tax to the private sector and members of the wider public. Ehsan Malik, CEO of the Pakistan Business Council stressed the need for establishing an independent tax commission at the federal level to formulate national tax policy. He recommended a robust private sector representation on this forum.

Muhammad Raziuddin, CEO of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Oil and Gas Company said that after 18th amendment, the governance in the province was improved. He said the Nepra Act needs to be restructured and approved for transparency and responsiveness. He said there are maximum reserves of crude oil in KP and oil exploration is continuing in the province.

Speaking at a session on 'Sustainable Development Goals and Leaving No One Behind,' Chairperson of Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) Marvi Memon said that this year BISP is launching a plan for the vulnerable groups of the community. The BISP is working on both socio-economic and democratic fronts and has received International Democracy Award, she said, adding that BISP has done its job well and reached districts like Musa Khel and Dera Bugti. She said that data is present in access with Benazir Income Support Program, and needs to be utilized nationally and internationally.

SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Suleri said that BISP should float a program with food security as its major part. He recommended that social safety net programs should be consolidated under one umbrella and BISP should be made headquarter. Speaking at a session on 'Migration, water management and climate change in glacial river basin and semi-arid regions in Pakistan: Key linkages and policy options,' former Wapda Chairman Shamsul Mulk said institutions, as opposed to individuals, are key to resolving issues related to water management.

Former Information Minister Nisar Memon said that human security is at the core of water and migration issues. "Weather-related human displacement in 2008 was around 20 million people, which interestingly outnumbered conflict based displacement (4.6 million people) during the same year," he added. Speaking at a session on 'Information and Telecommunications Journey in Pakistan: Future Directions,' former PTA Chairman Dr Ismail Shah said: "Without a comprehensive approach and rationalization of taxation on information and communication technologies, any progress in this vital sector is unthinkable. Pakistan's ICTs are highly taxed which is hampering its growth."

International consultant Pervaiz Iftikhar said Pakistan's present status of digital economy does not inspire confidence among businessmen and the investors' community. He said the government must be proactive and lead the way by increasing its own usage of information technology. Dr Manzoor Ahmad, President of Policy Research Institute of Market Economy said that since the launch of 3G/4G technologies in 2014, the number of internet users has increased to 48 million which is about 27 per cent of population, but Pakistan is still a long way in matching up with Asian average of 45.6 percent.

Dr Nadeem ul Haque, former Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, stressed the need for bridging gap among the government, universities and think tanks. Key issue in Pakistan is the policy space, he added. Former Intelligence Bureau chief Shoaib Suddle discussed the issues of Pakistan, Afghanistan and India in the backdrop of improper border management. He said the accusations of terrorism can be tackled by cooperation within these countries.



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