Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari on Tuesday held a meeting with Ms. Emma Xiaoqin Fan, Country Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), to discuss ongoing reforms and future cooperation in the power sector.
During the meeting, the minister said that Pakistan’s power sector has recently shown strong resilience despite global energy challenges. He said this stability is due to greater use of indigenous resources including local coal, hydel and solar energy, said a press release. Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari said the government was focusing on enhancing the share of indigenous fuel in electricity generation to make power more affordable for consumers.
On the occasion, Emma Xiaoqin Fan acknowledged the Government of Pakistan’s proactive measures and noted that these efforts in the power sector have significantly improved the overall resilience of the national economy. She said ADB is interested in deep diving into the requirements of the energy sector and supporting newer initiatives such as digitization, integrated planning, data governance, privatization and institutional governance in Pakistan.
She shared that ADB is already providing technical assistance for AMI meters and is conducting studies on the impact of rooftop solar and battery energy storage systems BESS in the power sector. She also highlighted capacity building programs including specialized training opportunities in Korea for power sector professionals to build skills and support reforms.
The minister stressed that the selection process for such programs should be fair and transparent. He said that professionals equipped with modern skills will help drive institutional improvements.
The minister stressed the importance of the National Grid Company NGC and sought necessary support for its restructuring. He said that the government has engaged the Pakistan Business Council to encourage investment in the transmission sector. He said the focus will shift more towards transmission after privatization.
Emma Xiaoqin Fan said that the Vice President of ADB is expected to visit Pakistan later this month. The meeting ended with both sides agreeing to continue close cooperation for a modern efficient and sustainable power sector in Pakistan.