Pakistan

Govt to ask Chinese IPPs to use cheaper Thar coal

Published

2 مہینے ago

جولائی 22, 2024

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Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division) Awais Leghari gestures during a press conference in this undated photo. — X/GovtofPakistan

ISLAMABAD: The federal government aims to push Chinese independent power producers (IPPs) to adopt cost-efficient Pakistani coal instead of importing it at higher rates from other countries to not only ease the burden on consumers but also relieve pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

“Pakistan this month will ask Chinese power plants operating in the country to shift to using coal from Thar region rather than imported coal,” Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division) Awais Leghari told Reuters on Sunday.

He added that the transition could save Pakistan more than Rs200 billion a year in imports, translating to a decrease of as much as Rs2.5 per unit in the price of electricity.

“Islamabad may also begin talks on re-profiling Pakistan’s energy sector debt during the visit to Beijing.”

Such a transition would benefit the Chinese-owned plants in Pakistan by reducing pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves, he said, making it easier to repatriate dividends and offering a better return in dollar terms.

The power czar will be part of the delegation to discuss structural reforms to the power sector suggested by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which last week agreed on a $7 billion bailout for the heavily indebted South Asian nation.

Neighbouring China has set up over $20 billion worth of energy projects in Pakistan.

“One of the key purposes of going along is the conversion of our imported coal units to the local coal. That would have a huge impact on the cost of energy, of power in the near future. So that is one of the biggest (items on the) agenda,” Leghari said in an interview.

In April a subsidiary of conglomerate Engro agreed to sell all of its thermal assets, including Pakistan’s leading coal producer, Sindh Engro Coal Mining to Liberty Power.

Liberty said the decision stemmed from Pakistan’s foreign exchange crunch and its indigenous coal reserve potential.

The minister declined to elaborate on the possible talks with China over re-profiling energy debt.

Pakistan’s power sector has been plagued by high rates of power theft and distribution losses, resulting in accumulating debt across the production chain — a concern raised by the IMF.

The government is implementing structural reforms to reduce circular debt — public liabilities that build up in the power sector due to subsidies and unpaid bills — by Rs100 billion a year, Leghari said.

Poor and middle-class households have been affected by a previous IMF bailout reached last year, which included raising power tariffs as part of the funding programme that ended in April.

Annual power use in Pakistan is expected to fall consecutively for the first time in 16 years as higher tariffs curb household consumption, despite summer temperatures surging to near records, which typically boosts air conditioning and fan use.

“We have seen a shrinking demand trend in the past year or year and a half, and we are expecting this to continue unless we rationalise the price of power,” Leghari said, adding that the government’s major challenge was getting demand to stop shrinking.

He said that since the per-unit tariff for power is more expensive, both urban and rural households are moving towards alternatives such as solar.

“Right now we have close to 1,000 megawatts that are on the grid itself in the form of net metering systems and others. It’s a very conservative estimate that (solar) could be five to six times more than that on the grid right now,” Leghari said.

Related Topics:cheaper Chinese coal Govt IPPs Pakistan Thar

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Pakistan

Honda CD70 Dream Latest Price, Installment Plans – Sep 2024 Update – Pakistan Observer

Published

45 منٹ ago

ستمبر 20, 2024

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Honda remains leader in bikes market, with its top-selling units like CD 70, and that’s without making any major changes as the entry-level bikes look almost same for a long time. As the CD-70 remains its most selling model, bikes like the CD-70 Dream and Pridor are considered a niche products.

Despite failing to achieve top sales, CD 70 Dream is still in the market, featuring air-cooled, 4-stroke engine that delivers smooth performance and impressive fuel economy, often averaging around 60-70 km/l, making it ideal for daily commuting.

The bike looks better with stylish and modern design with attractive graphics, as compared to simple CD70. People also like its comfort as built quality remains optimum, comparing to other players.

Its pricing makes it accessible to a wide audience, including students and working professionals, solidifying its status as a favorite among motorcycle enthusiasts in Pakistan.

As bikes prices remain out of hands, people are having hard time to upgrade their ride while companies also face low sales.

Honda CD 70 Dream Price

The price of Honda CD70 Dream is Rs168,900 in September 2024.

Honda CD 70 Dream Installments

Installment Plans	Monthly Payments
3 months	Rs56,300
6 months	Rs28,300
9 months	Rs21,890
12 months	Rs17,200
24 months	Rs10,170
36 months	Rs7,800

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Check Property Ownership in Lahore, other Punjab cities Online – Pakistan Observer

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2 گھنٹے ago

ستمبر 20, 2024

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If you live in Lahore or any other city in Punjab; you might have faced difficulties in getting land record in previous years, but now the government made the land verification process smooth with digitization.

To curb the menace of land mafia and to help residents of Punjab, the government rolled out a systematic process and also eased the process of property transfers and real estate transactions.

A new verification system is Live by provincial authorities to check the legitimacy of properties available for purchase or investment across the region of 110 million people.

The relevant authority in this regard is Punjab Land Record Authority which oversees management and maintenance of land records. You can get different services, including ability to search for and view land records, as well as request copies of documents.

Check Property Ownership Online 2024

Here’s Step by Step Guide To Check property ownership

Step 1: Please visit PLRA portal at Punjab-zameen.gov.pk.

Step 2: Find ‘Property Registration,’ on home and click on https://rodportal.punjab-zameen.gov.pk/.

Step 3: It will ask you to select your district and service center.

Step 4: You can search by different options including Bahi number, ID card, registration number, or by person name.

Step 5: After entering details, please advance to ‘Search’ to get the land ownership.

With latest updates, you can check data on number of property transfers in last 36 months.

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Pakistan

Suzuki Bolan discontinued in Pakistan after 36 years; Here’s replacement for ‘Carry Dabba’ – Pakistan Observer

Published

3 گھنٹے ago

ستمبر 20, 2024

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LAHORE – Finally, it’s time to say goodbye to the iconic Suzuki Bolan as Pak Suzuki pulled plugs to replace the minivan with another model. Over the last 3.5 decades, Suzuki Bolan enjoyed decent sales and was valued for its flexibility, serving a multi-passenger vehicle and for commercial purposes.

Amid shift in auto landscape in Pakistan, Bolan becomes latest drive to be discontinued after Suzuki Mehran, which you can still spot.

Pictures of Suzuki Bolan’s last batch surfaced online, and Pakistanis hit nostalgia as many grew up in this vehicle. The final chassis number marked as 01151691. The country’s oldest automaker and maker of Bolan also confirmed discontinuation of the 800cc Carry Dabba.

The company decided to replace Bolan for its outdated design and lack of safety features. Amid its low sales, consumer demand for a modern replacement like Changan Karvaan increased.

Suzuki Every to Replace Bolan

Suzuki earlier mentioned that Every will replace Bolan, and one of its recent model was unveiled at a recent auto show.

The launch of Every models faced delays due to import challenges and it is expected to launch in mid October.

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Pakistan

Gold prices reach historic high in Pakistan – Pakistan Observer

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