President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari has termed the IPPs as detrimental for country’s sustainability by demanding their forensic audit. Addressing a largely attended press conference entitled ‘IPPs and electricity crisis’ here at the Chamber House on Wednesday, he said that entire business community is on the same page over the issue and it will not let the government to renew their contracts without taking it on board. Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari said that the individuals responsible for excessively costly agreements should be held accountable, with consequences for negligence or misconduct. He said that the high tariffs and capacity payments have made electricity unaffordable for the industry as well as the common people which is badly affecting country’s export sector as the buyers in the global market have started looking alternates of Pakistani products. The ICCI President urged the government to comprehensively review all agreements with IPPs, prioritizing the nation's best interests, and ensure full transparency through disclosure of all contracts and associated details.

This review should identify and address power plants receiving payments without generating output, and include regular performance evaluations and machinery condition assessments, with findings made public. Additionally, agreement expiration dates should be published pre-renewal, and all agreements should require mandatory parliamentary approval. By taking these steps, the government can ensure that the nation's interests are protected and that the power sector is operated in a transparent and accountable manner. PPP MNA and UBG leader Dr. Mirza Ikhtiar Baig said that a delegation of business leaders is holding a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari (Thursday) over the issue to apprise him of the dire situation and find out a viable way forward. He added that according to a report most of the IPPs are accused of breach of contracts, therefore the government should not hesitate in initiating a criminal action against them. Vice President ICCI Azhar ul Islam Zafar demanded that an inquiry commission should be constituted to probe the entire episode and to bring those involved in wrong doings to the justice.

Former President ICCI and Secretary General United Business Group Zafar Bakhtawari said that that the IPPs issue is not the issue of business community and the general public but the issue of country’s sustainability. Former President ICCI Tariq Sadiq also pointed out the disparities in the rates of the IPPs by saying that Pakistan is bearing the highest electricity rates of the IPPs in the region. The business community present on the occasion also adopted a unanimous resolution demanding forensic audit of the IPPs, Procurement of the IPPs by the government as scrape and non-renewal of their contracts in future. Those present on the occasion among other include former President ICCI Mian Shaukat Masood, President All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran Ajmal Baloch, Malik Shabbir,  Malik Mohsin Khalid, Zulqurnain Abbasi, Waseem Chaudhry,  Irfan Chaudhry, Maqsood Tabish, Ameer Hamza, Munazzeh Majid etc.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan