ISLAMABAD, Sept 9: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Saturday that the consumption of electricity has increased by 11 per cent since last year owing to economic growth and rapid electrification.

Presiding over a meeting at the Prime Minister’s House to review the demand and supply situation and overall progress in the power generation projects undertaken by the private sector, Mr Aziz said presently there was parity between the demand and supply of power due to rains and more hydel production. He said the overall demand and supply both stood at about 14,000 MW.

The total hydel production, he said which today was 6740 MW, was 1000 MW higher than last year and the total consumption/ demand of electricity, which was 12,500 MW, had increased to 14.1 thousand MW.

Mr Aziz said the electricity demand was growing by six to eight per cent annually.

During the last year 19,000 tubewells were installed and 15,000 villages were electrified.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to provide electricity to every village by 2007 and said the villages, which were not on the grid, would be provided electricity through alternative sources of energy.

The Minister for Water and Power Laiquat Ali Jatoi said that private sector would add up to 2000 MW by 2008. Mr Jatoi said that Wapda would provide 1100 MW thermal power by 2008. The Private Power Infrastructure Board (PPIB) has invited request for proposals (RFPs) for coal power generation using local and imported coal.

After the briefing, the prime minister said the government would tap all possible sources to increase power generation and maintain growth.

He said the government was encouraging the private investment in power sector and a level playing field had been provided to local and foreign investors.