SWAT: The officer-bearers of Swat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) criticised the government’s agreements with the independent power producers (IPPs), calling them unique in the world for requiring payments in dollars even when no electricity was generated.

These views were expressed by SCCI president Rahat Ali Khan, senior vice president Bakht Karam Khan, Zakir Muhammad, former district president Adnan Ali, Iqbal Khan, and others during a press conference at the Swat Press Club here on Saturday.

They stated that 40 IPP companies currently operated in the country, and under the agreement, the government of Pakistan paid public money of billions of rupees every month to these IPPs, even when they didn’t generate electricity.

“Last month, a company was given Rs 1000 crores for producing zero megawatts of electricity, which is an abuse and cruelty to the country’s people,” they said.

They noted that in the recent budget, 1700 billion rupees were allocated for these companies, while only 1400 billion rupees were allocated for the development projects of the entire country. “This is evidence of the incompetence and hypocrisy of the rulers,” they lambasted, adding, everyone was responsible duty-bound to raise their voice against these unjust and unethical agreements.

“The people of the country must unite against such cruel treaties, and the government should immediately cancel all anti-people agreements with the IPPs and renew the agreements in the larger interest of the country,” they demanded.

They argued that instead of supporting the 40 IPP companies, the government should support the country’s 24 crores people, otherwise, the SCCI and the people would stage protests across the country.

They also called for reforms in electricity distribution companies to reduce line losses. They pointed out that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was provided with 3000 megawatts of electricity instead of 5000 megawatts due to theft and other inefficiencies, and the cost of stolen electricity was also being passed onto the common people.

They demanded that the government terminate the IPP agreements that were against the public interest, warning that they, along with the people, would take to the streets if their demands were not met.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2024