Towards knowledge

Prime Minister Imran Khan is leading a historic effort aimed at developing a strong knowledge economy. Projects worth about Rs120 billion are in various stages of approval. Some have already been approved and their implementation begun. These include a Rs12 billion scholarship project of the Knowledge Economy Task Force that is chaired by the prime minister and of which I…

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Setting up of provincial regulators: Nepra chief gives his consent

ISLAMABAD: Chair-man, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Tuesday gave his consent to the establishment of power regulators at the provincial level for provision of better service to people and resolution of electricity issues. He made these remarks during a hearing on issuance of transmission licence to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Transmission Grid Company (KP-PGC) which the provincial government intends to…

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Pakistan to seek debt relief from China power projects’ loan

KARACHI: Pakistan plans to ask China for relief on payments for power projects Beijing financed over the past eight years, the latest developing nation that’s struggling to repay debt under President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. In informal talks, Pakistan and China have discussed easing terms on the repayment of debt on about a dozen…

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The neglected institutional aspect of energy policies in Pakistan

Starting with the 1994 private power policy, Pakistan has seen a streak of energy policies, introduced at regular intervals by successive governments in their bid to fuel the growing economy and serve the demands of the burgeoning population. Most of these policies, however, failed to deliver their intended outcomes during implementation. Often, these policies have also led to serious unintended…

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ADB reaffirms support for energy sector reforms in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has reaffirmed its support for energy sector reforms in Pakistan. Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Petroleum Nadeem Babar on Tuesday held a virtual meeting with the ADB team in Manila together with ADB Country Director Xiaohong Yang and the energy team, said a statement issued by the Petroleum Division. The meeting was aimed to…

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President Biden Freezes New Oil and Gas Leases and Pauses Permits on Federal Lands and Offshore

On his first full day in office, President Biden indicated that the moderate Joe Biden we were all expecting might not be appearing on oil and gas issues and his administration’s energy policies would be informed by the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party. On January 21, an acting Secretary of the Interior issued Order 3395, which imposes a…

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Pakistan to produce energy from waste

The concept of utilising waste to generate energy might soon be introduced in Pakistan and the ministries concerned would be educated about the technology, said Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) President Mian Nasser Hyatt Maggo. In a meeting with a delegation of Pakistan Plastic Manufacturers Association on Tuesday, he said Chinese innovation and introduction of waste recycling was…

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Cabinet scraps Mari dividend cap

ISLAMABAD: The cabinet on Tuesday approved the removal of cap on dividend distribution by Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL) in a bid to fetch better price for the government of Pakistan shares. The government plans to divest 18.39% shares in Mari Petroleum and the removal of dividend cap will help get a better price. The approval came during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister…

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KE makes demand for additional Rs40bn

ISLAMABAD: K-Electric has sought increase in electricity rates on account of fuel cost adjustments for seven months and quarterly adjustments for nine months involving an additional revenue generation of about Rs40 billion. According to tariff petitions filed before the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), the Karachi-based private power utility has demanded fuel cost adjustments (FCAs) for seven months from…

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