Karachi: The Sindh cabinet has granted approval to the formation of the Sindh Electric Power Regulatory Authority (SEPRA) to set up Pakistan’s first-ever provincial-level regulator for electricity affairs in line with the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
The cabinet meeting was chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. On June 7, 2023, the Sindh Assembly unanimously passed the Sindh Regulation of Electric Power Services Bill-2023 envisaging setting up the SEPRA.
The SEPRA will comprise a chairman and three members. The CM also approved a grant of Rs 197.916 million as part of the provincial government’s budget for the financial year 2024-45 to establish the SEPRA.
While speaking as the chief guest at a workshop on hybrid wind-solar power projects in Sndh held in late July, Sindh Energy Minister, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, hoped that the SEPRA would likely become functional by the end of August to empower the province to take over the electricity tariff determination affairs.
He said that with SEPRA becoming functional, the province would have greater authority to reduce the electricity tariff for its consumers. Shah hoped that relevant federal authorities would fully support the provincial government in setting up the SEPRA to provide due economic relief to the power consumers in Sindh.
He told the audience that SEPRA would ensure the speedy execution of the clean power generation projects in the province by the private sector under B2B arrangements. He said the Sindh Transmission & Dispatch Company would facilitate the evacuation of electricity from such renewable power plants to the industrial and commercial consumers in urban centres under the B2B system.
Sindh cabinet approves setting up SEPRA as Pakistan’s first provincial power sector regulator
