Energy woes: Policy shortfalls and solutions highlighted

Seminar on energy discusses current energy situation and the progress made so far.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) organised a seminar on energy to discuss current energy situation in the country and the progress made so far on various initiatives to overcome the power and gas shortage in the country.

Zafar Bakhtawari, president ICCI, while speaking on the occasion said that the future of Pakistan lies in energy sufficiency and ending energy crisis from the country would definitely give a boost to the industry growth and business, but there is lack of planning and true implementation of policies. He expressed concern over increasing oil import bill which has been touching the alarming figure of $15billion.

Bakhtawari urged the adoption of energy conservation measures and said that Government should launch a serious campaign for adopting energy conservation measures by promoting energy efficiency programs. He said that it is the high time for the Government to declare Energy Emergency in the country and find ways to resolve this core issue.

Also speaking on the occasion, Masood Siddiqui, managing director and chief executive officer of the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) stated that the company has achieved high growth rates in the production of oil and gas, a significant increase in exploration, drilled 16 new offshore wells, added 6,000 new barrels oil and 100-150mcf of gas during the last eight to nine months to ensure the energy security of the country.

He said that OGDCL is successfully going ahead with its mission to fulfil the country’s energy demand and its recent discovery of would go a long way in this regard. He said that ODGCL also initiated the project of establishing OGDCL Institute of Science and Technology to promote higher education and technology in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2013.

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