ISLAMABAD: A fact-finding committee of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has found serious faults with the coal procurement process for power production at Sahiwal and recommended a series of corrective measures, including the creation of an independent regulator to protect electricity consumers from unjustified burden.

The four-member committee was constituted last year after Muhammad Ali, a former energy minister and now Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, called for an investigation and the government received complaints from coal suppliers regarding an agreement between the management of Sahiwal Power Plant and Awan Trading Company.

Some aggrieved consumers had even taken the matter to the Islamabad High Court, which directed Nepra to examine the complaints from bidders.

The bidders had alleged collusion, inflated pricing, restrictive bidding and procedural irregularities.

Bidders accused authorities of collusion, inflated pricing and restrictive bidding

The probe committee, however, did not fix responsibility for coal procurement nor did it accuse the management........

© Dawn Business