ISLAMABAD, Feb 21 (APP):Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar Thursday said that the government was committed to enhance share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix and it would encourage competitive bidding for future renewable energy projects.
Makhdum Khusro highlighted that the government was also working on a renewable energy policy to tap the indigenous resources.
He noted that the cost of renewable energy technologies had come down adding that the government would encourage competitive bidding for tariff determination for future renewable energy projects which would bring per megawatt generation cost down.
The Minister was chairing the second steering committee meeting on Integrated Energy Planning (IEP) for Sustainable Development here.
He said the government was committed to systematic and cost effective development of energy sector and in this regard was working on integrated energy planning for sustainable development.
It is pertinent to mention here that USAID Pakistan and Planning Commission had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on November 8, 2016 for cooperation in integrated energy planning.
In line with the provision of MoU, a Steering Committee on IEP was formulated to take the initiative forward.
The Minister said that the government was making endeavors to provide affordable energy to the masses and a robust energy policy is being formulated in coordination with all stakeholders for sustained economic growth.
He said that lack of an integrated energy planning in the past, affected the energy sector and consequentially the country’s economic growth.
He added that the present government was fully committed to steer this initiative to meaningful policy formulation and its implementation adding that the government had also constituted a task force on energy in this regard.
The Minister said that the government would prioritize the energy infrastructure needs in the next Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) to bridge the gap between transmission and distribution part of energy supply chain.
Speaking on the occasion, Mission Director USAID Pakistan Jerrry Bisson said that the Agency will continue to extend cooperation for integrated energy planning initiative.
The Minister also called for expansion of the Steering Committee to include Chairman Prime Minister Task Force on Energy and Special Assistant to PM on Power.
Secretary Planning Zafar Hasan, Chairman Prime Minister Task Force Nadeem Babar, Special Assistant to PM on Power Shahzad Qasim, representatives from USAID Pakistan and US Department of Energy were also present in the meeting.
