PM seeks Chinese company's help in curbing line losses, power pilferage
Source : The Nation Date : July 08, 2013
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Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Sunday asked a prominent Chinese company to provide suggestions and assistance in curbing power line losses, theft and pilferage in Pakistan. The Prime Minister who arrived here in Guangzhou this morning on third phase of his five-day official visit, held a meeting with president of China Southern Power Grid (CSG) Zhao Jianguo. The Prime Minister told him that they were working on building power plants based upon coal, solar and wind resources, adding Pakistan was blessed with abundant water resources and coal reservoirs to generate energy. He said that they were in touch with the Chinese companies, already working in this sector and got a good response from the Chinese side and now entering into agreements with these companies.
“We have been working in the energy sector,” he said and added that it would take time, but for the moment, they were working upon plans to cut down line losses, power theft and pilferage.
The Prime Minister, on the occasion, sought the suggestion from the president China Southern Power Grid (CSG) Zhao Jianguo in this regard.
The company president agreeing with the request said that proper management and supervision coupled with application of stringent laws could help reduce this menace.
To a question posed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, he said that in China, the line losses had been slashed down from 6 percent to 1 percent.
The company president said that his company was ready to provide help to Pakistan in addressing the problem of line losses, theft and pilferage.
The Prime Minister asked him to provide the consultancy, so that the existing bonds of friendship could be further strengthened.
Regarding Pak-China economic corridor, the Prime Minister said that both the countries attached high importance to its execution, adding, ‘this is the biggest project which starts from Gwadar to Kashgar’.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif pointed out that the corridor would be highly beneficial not only for Pakistan and China but also for the whole region and for the three billion people inhabiting it.
The Prime Minister said that they were working on this project as this would be ‘a game changer’ for them as far as the whole region was concerned.
The Prime Minister further informed the company president that Pakistan was facing acute shortage of power and energy was one of their main problems, but still they were determined to get it resolved as soon as possible.
They had inherited this problem as previous government did not pay much attention in this area, he said, adding, to overcome the issue, they had taken a number of steps.
He said he had also discussed the energy and other projects during his meetings with the Chinese leaders including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.
They Prime Minister was of the view that he also had good sessions with Chinese companies working on energy sector.
He also thanked the company president for arranging a meeting despite a holiday.
On the occasion, Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif told the company president that Pakistani people who had been facing energy crises, were looking towards the Chinese officials, and the companies for cooperation in this regard.
He urged the CSG company president to help in generating power in Pakistan besides, controlling issues like power theft and line losses with proper planning and guidance.
He said Pakistan wanted Chinese cooperation in energy sector and attached high value to such spirit of camaraderie.
The CSG is ranked 150 among a conglomerate of 500 Fortune companies. It also provides electricity to 33 million people and generates 1 million MW of power.