ISLAMABAD: The Transparency International Pakistan has criticised the government’s plan to privatise nine power stations which are generating 4,679MW and called for declaring the privatisation plan as ‘mis-procurement’.

In a letter to Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar, the Adviser to Transparency International Pakistan, Syed Adil Gilani, said the Expression of Interest (EOI) for privatisation of the nine power stations appeared to be another effort by the Private Power and infrastructure Board (PPIB) to circumvent PPRA Ordinance 2002 and Public Procurement Rules, 2004.

Mr Gilani said the issues related to KESC privatisation and failure of KESC to achieve desired results and its liabilities of over Rs100 billion must be sorted out prior to taking up privatisation of the nine power plants.

The power plants as advertised by PPIB are: TPS Jamshoro, GTPS Kotri, TPS Quetta, TPS Guddu, TPS Muzaffargarh, NGPS Multan, SPS Faisalabad, GTPS Faisalabad and GTPS Shahdara.

The government has decided to outsource management, operations, maintenance and rehabilitation, inclusive of conversion to cheaper fuel of these power plants to the private sector. The decision has been taken to enhance energy efficiency, dependence capacity, and annual availability of the nine power plants while reducing the total tariff.

Mr Gilani also asked the water and power minister that the experience of bad privatisation of KESC should be kept in view and mistakes committed should be recertified prior to deciding the privatisation of the nine power plants.

The Transparency International accused PPIB of having tried to award without tendering $2.2 billion 1100MW Kohala Power project to a Chinese water and electric company involved in tax evasion.