Privatization: The Good and Bad

In the 1990s Pakistan started off on an ambitious multi-step power sector reforms programme. It was a long and drawn-out process that began with the induction of independent power producers followed by the unbundling of WAPDA and creation of the National Power and Regulatory Authority (NEPRA). It was supposed to have culminated in the privatization of all major DISCOs. However, the process fell through for a number of reasons, including the lack of political will. Back in the 1980sn and 1990s, privatization and deregulation of public infrastructure services was a…

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Minerals Sector Has Potential To Spur Economic Growth, Job Creation In Balocistan

ISLAMABAD, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 3rd Oct, 2020 ) :Mines and Minerals sector has the potential to spur economic growth and job creation in Balochistan and the government had established state-run minerals companies, said a senior officer of the Mines and Minerals Department on Saturday. To general revenue from the mining sector, the government had formed the Balochistan Minerals Exploration Company (BMEC) and Balochistan Minerals Resource Company Limited (BMRL) to take mining lease in the province, he said while talking to APP. The senior officers said the initiative would lead to increase revenue generation in the province. “Now the companies can partner with the private sector…

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Pakistan urges WB to expand priority areas of cooperation

ISLAMABAD: Economic Affairs Minister Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar informed the World Bank (WB) on Saturday that the Pakistan government would be able to complete three different development policy credits in due time, if they approve economic reforms proposed by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) intended to simplify the execution of development projects. The minister gave this briefing during a meeting with WB Country Director for Pakistan, Najy Benhassine, and shared Prime Minister Imran Khan’s direction to expedite the economic reforms in coordination with global donors. Bakhtyar urged the World…

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Global warming will make deadly heatwaves an annual threat in India and Pakistan

In 2015, India and Pakistan experienced heatwave conditions that ended up killing over 3,600 people in just three months. Now, research suggests this could become the new normal. If average world temperatures increase by between 1.5ºC and 2°C, potentially deadly heatwaves are likely to substantially increase (pdf) in frequency, and those similar to the one in 2015 could become an annual occurrence in India and Pakistan, according to a new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body set up in 1988. At warming of…

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Hubco’s TNPTL to commence commercial operations in 2022

HUBCO is the only power producer in Pakistan with four projects listed in the CPEC, namely imported coal-based China Power Hub Generation Company (Private) Limited (CPHGC) at Hub, Thar Energy Limited (TEL) and ThalNova Power Thar (Pvt.) Ltd. and Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) at Thar Coal Block II. Pakistan’s largest Independent Power Producer (IPP), Hub Power Company Limited (Hubco) has announced that the ThalNova Power Thar (Private) Limited (TNPTL) will commence commercial operations in 2022. “The Government of Pakistan has notified the achievement of Financial Closing by ThalNova…

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