By Adnan Rafique
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan Monday said the prime focus of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government was to lower the cost of power generation by increasing the renewable energy resources. “The sustainable and affordable structure of energy tariffs will be beneficial for the positive economic trajectory of the country,†he expressed these views during a meeting with newly appointed Ambassador of China to Pakistan Nong Rong, who called on him here.
CPEC Authority Chairman Lt. Gen. (Retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Power Tabish Gouhar and Secretary Power Ali Raza Bhutta were also present in the meeting. During the meeting, the both sides reviewed the progress of power projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and agreed to continue the cooperation in the field of energy in mutual interest of the two countries.
The minister highlighted the provision of power and energy for establishment of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and said that it would help boost economic activity along with creation of thousands of new jobs in the country. Omar Ayub also apprised the envoy about the initiatives taken by the government to curb the distribution and transmission losses in the power sector.
The Chinese ambassador while appreciating the government’s commitment to reform the energy sector, said China was keen to work with Pakistan in the field of energy including power projects under CPEC. He thanked and appreciated the efforts of the Pakistan’s government and Ministry of Energy to expedite the progress of power projects under CPEC.
