LAHORE: A meeting of the executive council of Engineers Study Forum, a think tank, said it will urge Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to not increase electricity prices as it will further increase inflation, and adversely affect the people and the economy.
Instead, there is a need to reduce technical power losses in the power system which are higher than the acceptable standards. Likewise, it is highly imperative to make reforms in the economy with task forces on agriculture and industry.
In the past, wheat, sugar and rice were exported. Now these items are being imported.
It is high time to construct Kalabagh Dam also with the consensus of all provinces on a fast track basis. It can ensure water in the case of water scarcity and at the same time, it will give additional cheaper power of around 4,000 MW. Thus, it will fast boost the economy.
The turnkey style of constructing new power projects enhances capital costs unnecessarily thus adversely affecting the economy.
Effective reforms are needed in the power, industries and agriculture sectors as well to enhance the per acre yield of crops and to reduce technical wastage and losses in industries as well.
The efficiency of thermal power plants in the public sector is also required to be enhanced to cut unnecessary power losses and waste of energy.
