ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan Commerce Minister Gohar Ejaz on Saturday revealed that Independent Power Producers (IPPs) received hefty payments amounting to Rs 450 billion in the first quarter of this year.
Former interim Commerce Minister Gohar Ejaz has shared the data of the capacity payments made to IPPs, noting, “Various IPPs were paid Rs 150 billion monthly from January to March.”
He highlighted that 50% of IPPs operate below 10% of their generation capacity, with four power plants receiving Rs 10 billion monthly despite not generating electricity.
“This money, earned through hard work, is being disbursed to 40 families via capacity payments,” Ejaz remarked. “Payments to these power plants should be linked to electricity generation,” he emphasized.
Ejaz also advocated for inclusive representation of stakeholders in the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA).
“The government must ensure transparency in expenditure of public funds and avoid burdening power consumers,” he added.
Ejaz previously demanded transparency in IPP payment records and urged disclosure of electricity generation data from each power plant based on their capacity.
He also called for public disclosure of IPPs’ capacity payment records and their generation costs, while proposing a shift to a “take and pay” agreement model.
