ISLAMABAD, June 11: Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has offered Italian investors to invest in coal and hydel power generation projects in Pakistan. Talking to the Italian delegation, headed by Italian Ambassador, Vincenzo Prati who called on him here, the minister said power sector in Pakistan had great potential and foreign investment in the coal and hydel power generation would help meet country’s future requirements.

He informed the envoy that the government had liberal policies to attract foreign investment as procedural requirements have been simplified and now there were no issues of tariff fixations.

He said Pakistan was facing severe power crisis and the government was taking short, medium and long-term measures to combat loadshedding and various projects were being offered to investors, consortium through open bidding.

He said that the government was focusing on hydel and coal-based power generation to get cheaper electricity. He said an international conference on coal is being organised in Washington next month, where investors from all over the world would be invited to seek their investment in Thar coal for power generation.

Earlier, the ambassador said that the Italian companies were interested in the power sector and transfer of technology projects in Pakistan.

He said that the Italy is also keen to generate power through solid waste and some proposals would be submitted in this regard.

He said that investment potential in the hydel and coal power generation would be considered and project details would be submitted to investors.

The minister also welcomed the interest of Italian companies in the power sector, particularly in the transfer of technology in various sectors, clean drinking water projects and technical training programmes. He asked the delegation to submit proposals for transfer of technology which would be considered with the consultation of the concerned ministry.