Wednesday, May 7, 2008, Rabi-ul-Sani 30, 1429    

Provide relief to masses constitutional survival

Rizwan Ghani
Email:sadcat44@hotmail.com

Energy Minister was lucky that he was left standing in his suit than his boxers because he was talking to media not public when he said that three-year gestation period was required to end current load shedding. It would have definitely left FM blushed who had already blamed country’s image problem on ‘bad press’ while talking to visiting Arab journalists who found Pakistan peaceful and beautiful. It leaves little doubt that Energy Ministry has failed to come up with a policy to end eight to sixteen hours of energy load shedding. It brings us to two questions: 1) why should the energy minister be allowed to continue if he cannot end energy crisis by nationalizing energy sector and adopting alternate energy technology. 2) Which law permits rulers to enjoy round the clock uninterrupted supply of electricity while the public who they serve gets to suffer the heat for no fault of their own?

Can PM justify uninterrupted supply of electricity in VIP pockets across the country while average Pakistanis face unending power rationing? Similarly, will the rulers clarify for the ordinary people which law allows backup generators for hundreds and thousands of such VIPs nationwide whose number is growing by the hour? Shouldn’t the country’s law lords be taking suo motu notices to ban generator culture, end abuse of tax money and disclose existing number of such generators and their annual cost to the national exchequer? The judges would serve justice by recovering the amount spent under this head from those who availed this unlawful facility because no law in the country permits procurement, running and maintenance of the illegal generators for individual use.

It is hoped that concerned including Public Accounts Committee, citizen watch groups, legal fraternity will help PM to end generator-luxury amidst reports that current 522 billion fiscal deficit will climb to 957 billion by the end of fiscal year 2007/8 and another impending fuel prices increase before June 30. Thereby rendering immediate borrowing of some three billion US dollar loan to sustain country’s (failing) economy. These figures, energy minister’s statement of requiring three-year gestation period for permanently ending long hours of load shedding and instead calling for adoption of energy conservation measures mandate PMs intervention to end the misery of an average Pakistani who has been forced to face summer heat and humidity for no fault of his own and pay for national policy failure and corruption.

PM to show genuine support for people’s plight and as part of austerity drive should order following steps to end corruption in electricity and gas departments: 1) Inclusion of all VIP areas across the country including Islamabad into the current load shedding schedule. 2) Across the board removal of generators and air-conditioning/heating systems from govt. offices and residences to end VIP culture and save energy consumption. 3) Withdraw subsidized/free electricity/gas for public servants, office holders and govt. departments because it encourages waste and negates basic spirit of country’s law. Otherwise, also lawmakers and government employees as public servants cannot have free gas and electricity paid by tax money, which is not extended to the masses. 4) The energy consumption of country’s domestic sector is less than total consumption of free electricity given to government sector. Therefore, PM should direct Energy Minister to save 500 MW by withdrawing free electricity from VIPs instead of forcing load shedding at grass roots. In fact the national leadership to set a personal example should share equal hours of load shedding if not more.

Energy Minister in his statement on the floor of the House said that 50/100 MW of electricity will be generated from wind turbines. The measly amount reflects PPPP’s flawed energy policy stressing on long and mid-term plans thereby failing to provide immediate relief to masses. PM should issue immediate directions to incorporate feasible alternate energy technology based on alternate energy mapping for following reasons: 1) it can provide quick and sustainable solution for domestic sector that consumes less than 13% of total generated electricity. 2) In- step with international policy replace 35-45 percent of fossil fuel based current energy generation with alternate energy. 3) Cut fossil fuel imports to reduce foreign currency expenditure. 4) the ‘plug and play’ and main grid compatibility of these alternate energy options can alleviate misery of masses suffering the heat at grassroots due to protracted load shedding.

Therefore, country’s domestic and agriculture sectors should be shifted to alternate energy for multiple advantages including permanent end to load shedding, cheaper electricity and reduction in fuel imports. In this regard, state of the art affordable wind turbines, solar panels, photovoltaic panels can play an important role to help realize the objectives: 1) The ‘plug and play’ and ‘grid ready’ alternate energy technology can bring immediate relief at grassroots and end three year waiting period.

2) Alternate energy solutions are cheaper because: (a) Due to their proximity to consumers it reduces line losses, which in turn reduces energy cost. For example, the alternate energy helps cut line losses internationally accepted standards of 5-7% against Pakistan’s reported line losses exceeding 45 percent of total production, (independent observers put at 65%), which in turn forces per unit electricity prices increase to recover cost of lines losses and thefts.(b) It will allow energy generation at districts, tehsils and individual level, which in turn will help end corruption at all levels and cut over head costs.

3). Cheaper energy will promote small/medium industrial and manufacturing setups with multiple advantages including generation/sustenance of millions of jobs. 4) Cheaper sustainable alternate energy solutions will support and sustain country’s agri-sector offering critical advantages including produce increase and increasing employment opportunities. 5) Reduce energy related disputes between federation and provinces.

The fact of the matter is alternate energy as highlighted in my article ‘time for nationalized energy sector’, http://pakobserver.net/200804/17/Articles03.asp with 50,000 MW growth potential is the cheaper and sustainable way forward to meet international standards of ‘greener earth’ as part of cleaner global environment. However, it is the mindset than actual challenges in energy field that needs to be addressed (energy crisis and corruption nexus’ dated 7 Jan) http://www.pakobserver.net/200801/07/Articles04.asp. PM need to help end corruption and stakes blocking nationalization of energy sector and adoption of alternate energy to provide relief to masses, uplift agri-sector and facilitate country’s economic progress.

In this regard Nawaz Sharif can also play an important role by promoting adoption of alternate energy in Punjab. The model in turn can be copied by the rest of the country to provide relief to masses, sustain and generate growth and jobs in country’s agri-sector. In short 4200 MW can be generated by 1600 wind turbines with each generating of 3 MWs. The shift to alternate energy can help Pakistan save 300 billion rupees (4.6 billion dollars) being paid in annual subsidies to energy companies at the rate of 25 billion rupees per month. The purchase of 1600 wind turbines should cost around 0.192 billion dollars (1600 x $1,20,000 per piece) which is not only fraction of 4.6 billion dollars being currently paid under subsidy head but will also cut expenditure on import of costly furnace oil and ease pressure on foreign reserves etc. Logically, the adoption of alternate energy technology should reduce per unit cost with every passing year. All this makes more sense in the wake of growing oil prices.

Finally, it is need of the hour to adopt laws and energy policies including adoption of alternate energy on war footings to provide relief to masses, support agri-sector and cut costs on fuel imports. The nationalization of energy sector and adoption of alternation energy technology can go hand in hand with already approved long and medium term policies and projects based on traditional resources of energy generation. In case it is not possible then PM should be ready to face the maulanas because due to growing heat lungis’, Bermudas and bikinis are no bar. Nevertheless somewhere in all this lies scope of ‘good press’- silver lining for the FM, at least.