ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday directed that procedural formalities concerning Guddu and Uch transmission line projects should be completed before the agreement signing in September later year.
The President issued these directives while talking to a leading Chinese company dealing in power transmission projects that called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
Zardari said Pakistan was facing difficulties in meeting its energy requirements. To improve energy resources, the President said government was focused on building mega hydropower projects in Diamer Bhasha and Bunji. The President said developing Thar coal fields and electricity generation through gasification of coal was also on the cards to meet energy requirements.
He appreciated TBEA’s interest in Pakistan and its $3.5 billion agreement with Pakistan’s NTDC (National Transmission and Despatch Company) and China Development Bank to supply transmission equipment to Pakistan.
He also welcomed company’s interest in acquiring Heavy Electrical Complex, saying that the greater business ventures of the company in the country would contribute towards further strengthening Pak-China relationship.
Zardari said Pakistan welcomed Chinese companies and businessmen to take advantage of the investment and business-friendly policies offered by the country.
The President said the energy sector was one of the most important sectors where Pakistan needed assistance and cooperation of Chinese friends.
The President said, “we need to revamp existing transmission lines and build new ones for efficient transmission on one hand and to reduce line losses on the other.” The contributions of TBEA, the President noted, would contribute significantly towards this end.
He reiterated the government’s full support and facilitation to the incoming investors and businessmen, especially the Chinese and said the government would take care of their security requirements.
Ye Jun, head of TBEA, thanked the President for meeting and assured that TBEA would continue to make its contributions in assisting Pakistan in the energy sector.
The delegation was headed by Ye Jun. He was accompanied by country representative of TBEA in Pakistan Zhou Liliang and Chen Qinliang.
The Pakistani side included Syed Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister for Water and Power, Secretary General M. Salman Faruqui, Secretaries Finance and Economic Affairs divisions, Chairman WAPDA Shakeel Durrani, and other senior officials.
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More national assets sold to the chinese. One by one, they seem to be too much in control of our major resources from south to north. Such exclusive dependence on any one country is not good in long term.