ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Monday directed the Ministry of Water and Power Development to take immediate measures for resolution of tariff issues to ensure minimum load-shedding during the holy month of Ramazan. The prime minister was chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Energy. The prime minister directed the ministry to immediately resolve ‘upfront tariff’ issues with the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) for LNG, solar, coal, furnace oil, diesel and gas power plants. The prime minister directed the officials to work out immediate solutions for administrative and legal issues faced in implementation of energy projects on priority basis. The NTDC was directed to pickup pace of work on HVDC transmission lines and other smaller transmission lines. The prime minister also directed officials to carry out comparative studies about efficiency of various power sources, for presentation in the next CCOE meeting. The PM said the government was working on multiple options of power generation so that consumers were provided with uninterrupted power supply. “For this purpose, the government has focused on adding base load thermal power projects. This will ensure availability of power all through the year even during lean periods of hydro power generation in 2018 and onwards,” he said. The meeting was attended by Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Maryum Aurangzeb, Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi and senior officials. The Water and Power secretary briefed the meeting about the current load-management plan, implementation status of planned and ongoing energy projects and enhancement of transmission system. He said that during the present government’s tenure, a total of 9,625 MW in 132 Kv and 2,004 MW in 11 Kv systems had been added. He also said that capacity enhancement had also been achieved in the transmission system. The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) chairman briefed the meeting on progress of hydel power projects including Dasu, Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand Dam.