PM constitutes task force for structural reforms in power sector

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a task force to implement structural reforms in the power sector. Federal Energy Minister Awais Leghari will be the chairman of the 8-member task force and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Muhammad Ali will be the chairman of the task force while Lieutenant  General  Muhammad Zafar Iqbal will be the national coordinator in the task force. Apart from this, grade 21 officer Syed Zakaria Ali Shah will be appointed as a member of the committee and one member each from NEPRA, CPPA, PPIB and SECP has also been included in the task force. The terms of reference (TORs) have also been issued, the task force can engage any expert from the public or private sector to carry out the work. According to the TORs, the task force will make recommendations for reducing capacity payments and closing down certain power plants, while the task force will also review cost-of-production measures taken by IPPs. According to the TORs, the task force will identify illegal activities, procedural defects, regulatory loopholes in the establishment of IPPs, the task force will review the compliance of the IPPs with the terms of the agreements with the government and make the power sector financially sustainable. The task force will make recommendations to make the power sector financially sustainable. The TORs also state that recommendations will be made regarding increasing power consumption in industries, special economic zones, the task force will also suggest measures to resolve the revolving credit of the power sector. [embedpost slug="pm-shehbaz-forms-task-force-for-digitalization-of-fbr"] The task force headed by Awais Leghari will submit its recommendations to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif within a month.