Daily Times

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Petroleum Tabish Gauhar Thursday visited the Head Office of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and discussed professional matters with its chairman, members and management.

During the meeting, the SAPM emphasized that “a regulator should work according to its mandate and take decisions independently,” a news release said.

Speaking to the senior management, he highlighted the importance of effective collaboration between ‘a policymaker and the regulator’ for implementation of a fair and transparent regulatory framework. “It will not only facilitate the regulatees but also bring in efficiency, productivity and competitiveness within the oil and gas sector.”

OGRA Chairman Masroor Khan assured the SAPM that the authority would operate within its laid down regulatory framework with utmost efficiency and transparency, especially enforcing the government’s ease-of-doing-business plan, keeping in view the consumers’ interest.

The authority members also thanked the SAPM for his inspiring thoughts.

Investment opportunities:

China Gezhouba Group Corp (CGGC), one of the world’s largest construction and engineering firms, is willing to explore more opportunities for investment in Pakistan, the company’s chairman Chen Xiaohua has said when meeting with visiting Pakistani Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque in Wuhan, Central China’s Hubei Province.

During their talks, the two exchanged views on CGGC’s longstanding relations and wide-ranging cooperation with Pakistan, reported Global Times.

Chen said that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, CGGC is committed to the timely completion of energy projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan.

Thanking the chairman for a warm welcome at the company’s headquarters, Haque appreciated CGGC’s leading role in Pakistan’s energy infrastructure development and reassured the embassy’s full support for further deepening cooperation.

CGCC has involved in energy projects such as the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project, the Suki Kinari Hydropower Project, the Jhampir Wind Project, the Karot Hydropower Project and the Basha Hydropower Project in Pakistan.

The ambassador also invited CGGC to invest in Pakistan’s agricultural, environmental protection, clean drinking water, solid waste management, housing, and tourism sectors.

Both sides also vowed to maintain close coordination for celebrating the 70th anniversary celebrations befittingly.

On March 9, CGGC signed the 300MW Balakot Hydropower Project with the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Board (PEDO) Contract Agreement, one of the largest hydropower projects planned by PEDO.

It will substantially increase clean energy in Pakistan and continuously deliver cheap clean energy for social, and economic development.

Once completed, the project will effectively alleviate the local power shortage, further increasing the proportion of clean energy in Pakistan, and provide an impetus for social, and economic development.

The contract value of the project is equivalent to approximately 3.335 billion yuan ($509.7 million).

The successful signing of this project is another result of CGGC’s development in the field of Pakistan’s energy cooperation, injecting new impetus to CPEC.

Meanwhile, the project will be yet another hydropower project signed by CGGC in Pakistan by pioneering a combination of online and on-site negotiations under the background of the pandemic.

As the “global business card” of water conservancy and hydropower construction, and an important force in the construction of the CPEC, CGGC has played a key, leading, and exemplary role in promoting the construction of the corridor.

Wheat:

Food department would procure 638,507 metric ton wheat across the Multan division during the wheat procurement drive as the gunny bags distribution process has been started.

Deputy Director Food, Chaudhary Muhammad Arshad told APP here on Thursday that all arrangements for the wheat procurement drive have been finalized and added that 48 wheat procurement centers were set up across the division.

He said that the wheat procurement would also start with distribution of gunny bags as the growers could apply for gunny bags through online system.

Mr Arshad informed that the center in charges have the authority to issue 500 gunny bags to each grower while District food controller could issue the gunny bags up to 1000 gunny bags.

He said”Wheat crop is better this year and hoped that they would achieve the set wheat target easily while transparency would be ensured during the drive.” He said that the cash delivery to growers would be made through banks attached with Food department at respective areas of the procurement centers.

The 48 wheat procurement centers across Multan division included 17 wheat procurement centers at Multan district with total set target of 184558 metric ton.

Similarly, five wheat procurement centers were set up at Lodhran district with wheat target of 95764 metric ton,12 centers at Vehari with wheat target of 128185 metric tons.

Likewise, 14 wheat procurement centers were made at district Khanewal while its wheat procurement target was set at 230000 metric ton for the year of 2021-22.