IN what is being described as a landmark and historic decision, the Sindh cabinet has approved the establishment of NEPRA like authority at the provincial level. Named as Sindh Electric Power Regulatory Authority will now reportedly regulate power generation and licensing services in the province.
There is no denying that the country’s energy sector really requires massive reforms not only to exploit the indigenous resources but also address the issues such as that of line losses and circular debt. We believe the provincial government under the leadership of Murad Ali Shah would have thoroughly deliberated on the merits of the establishment of SEPRA but it must be ensured there is on confusion as regards the authority rested with NEPRA and the SEPRA. The focus must be improving the power generation, transmission and distribution system. Addressing the cabinet meeting, Murad Ali Shah emphasized that it was essential to establish a comprehensive legal, policy and regulatory framework for the generation, transmission, distribution and regulation of energy. This framework would help improve energy equity and eliminate energy poverty in the province. Sindh province indeed is blessed with an entire value chain of energy resources, including coal, solar, and wind, with cost-effective access through air, land, and sea routes. These resources could be utilized for the generation of electricity, which could be wheeled through the transmission network of Sindh Grid Company to meet the demand of household, commercial, and industrial consumers of the province at affordable prices. We hope that the establishment of SEPRA will take the matter towards improvement as regards the power sector is concerned.
The provincial cabinet also took yet another pro employee step by fixing minimum wages for the categories of skilled, semi-skilled and highly skilled workers employed in 42 industries. According to this, semi skilled workers will get minimum wage of twenty six thousand rupees, skilled workers 31,961 rupees and highly skilled 33,491 rupees with retrospective effect from January. This is a step in the right direction as the skilled workers deserve better wages than the unskilled ones, and other federating units should also follow the suit. Given the current record inflationary trends, salaries of public sector employees both at the federal and provincial levels should also be enhanced.
