Month: January 2023

The power sector circular debt has crossed the Rs 2.5 trillion mark and is growing. None of the political parties that came to power in the last decade or so have had any idea how to solve this problem. Every few years the government of the day kept on clearing the circular debt payments by parking the liabilities elsewhere. Finance minister Ishaq Dar did this kind of book-keeping exercise in the early days of his last stint as finance minister in the last Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government. Now there are…

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Coal mine accidents have unfortunately become more frequent in our country. Adding to the already alarming death toll in the country’s mining industry, two more miners died and another was injured in a coal mine gas blast in the Karez Honosam area of Orakzai on Saturday. According to data compiled by IndustriALL Global Union, unsafe mining in Pakistan claimed the lives of more than 150 workers and injured more than 20 others during the last year alone. Most of these accidents are caused by mine collapses, gas leaks and flooding.…

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The China-aided Eastbay Expressway of Gwadar port has begun operation since June, enhancing connectivity of the port, which is now transporting two hundred thousand tonnes of fertilizer. Karot Hydropower started commercial operation in June as well, which provides cheap and clean electricity, and can reduce 3.5 million metric tonnes of carbon emissions annually. The TEL and Nova power plants in Thar also started operations with the local coal. The Shanghai Electric Thar coal-based power plant has been connected to the national grid. Six model farms under Pakistan-China Red Chilli Contract…

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Federal Ombudsman Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi has directed gas providing agencies including Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) to make a more responsive and effective mechanism to deal with people’s complaints. He was presiding a high-level meeting to discuss the working of gas companies and their administrative arrangements to address citizens’ complaints. The meeting was attended by the Secretary (Petroleum) retired Capt Mohammad Mahmood, chairman of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) Masroor Khan, SNGPL Managing Director Ali Javed Hamdani, SSGCL Managing Director Imran…

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The Premier Shehbaz led Federal Government has stepped back from the agreed condition with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by reducing Petroleum Levy gradually due to political gains. The Shehbaz Government had agreed with the IMF to collect Rs850 billion during the current fiscal year by gradually enhancing Petroleum Levy to Rs50 per litre up to April 2023 to revive the stalled loan program. According to the Finance Ministry, the government has collected Rs47.4 billion (5% of total estimated target) PL during the first three months. Sources said that the…

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