August 7, 2003	Thursday	Jumadi-us-Sani 8, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 6: Minister for water and power Aftab Ahmad Sherpao on Wednesday said the determination of National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) about 14 paisa and three paisa per unit increase in Kesc and Wapda tariffs, respectively, would be implemented shortly.

“(The) Nepra is an independent regulator and its determination will be implemented after completion of the relevant procedure,” said Sherpao at a news conference on Wednesday when asked whether or not the power tariff was being increased as determined by the Nepra.

He said four major projects had been submitted to the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) for financing besides utilisation of a $8 million saving secured from Ghazi Barotha Hydropower Project to some other area.

These projects include installation of a $30 million transmission line from Hubco to Kesc system, a $83 million Muzaffargarh-Gatti transmission line, two projects of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company and a project of National Transmission and Dispatch Company.

Sherpao who returned from a week-long visit from Saudi Arabia said the copies of Wapda’s vision 2025 have also been provided to the IDB President for funding. The IDB would be sending a mission to Pakistan shortly to discuss these projects as well for financing purposes.

Referring to the president’s insistence on the construction of Kalabagh dam while greater Thal canal had been taken in hand, he said it was in the backdrop of water shortages and utilisation of water resources through consensus among the provinces.

The minister said he would be visiting Sindh province in the next few days to hold discussions with elected representatives and provincial cabinet members on Greater Thal Canal and 1991 water accord to remove their concerns and further refine the accord if so required.

He said Pakistan was currently facing a water shortage of 10 per cent that could increase to 35 per cent by 2025 if dams were not constructed. He said this year an estimated 10 million-acre feet water was expected to go below Kotri and into the sea due to heavy rains and hence it was the time some new reservoirs were developed irrespective of their location and size.

He, however, had no answer when asked as to how this excess water could have been saved when there was no identified storage site in Southern part of the country which recently received heavy rains.

He said the first unit of 1450-MW Ghazi Barotha Power Project would be inaugurated on Aug 19 and it would start full production by mid-next year.

The minister said during his visit to Saudi Arabia he had held meetings with Saudi minister for water and electricity, the IDB president and president of the Saudi Electric Company.

He said the Saudi government was satisfied with the performance of the National Power Construction Corporation, which has executed transmission and distribution projects worth 1.8 billion Saudi Riyal and earned $21 million foreign exchange for the country.