Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review critical Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) projects in the power and hydel energy sectors.
The minister was briefed on the overall portfolio and financial position of major power and hydel projects. A total of 37 critical power sector projects, with a combined approved cost of Rs. 1.7 trillion were reviewed. Of this, Rs. 1.1 trillion had been spent up to June 2025, while the throw-forward stood at Rs. 492.4 billion.
The PSDP allocation for 2025–26 is Rs. 104.7 billion, while an additional funding demand of around Rs. 175 billion has been indicated during the first quarter of the current fiscal year.
Prof Iqbal said regular portfolio reviews were essential to ensure scarce public resources were aligned with national priorities, cost overruns and implementation delays were identified early, and projects with the highest economic and social returns were completed on time.
He directed the Power Division to prepare a project-wise break-up of critical schemes and submit a year-wise financing and execution plan for the next three years. He further instructed that near-completion projects be prioritised so that sunk investments could be converted into operational assets at the earliest.
The minister said the objective was to reduce the throw-forward and complete priority projects within defined timelines, noting that delays not only escalate costs but also postpone economic benefits such as improved energy availability, industrial productivity, and investor confidence.
Key power sector projects reviewed included the 2x660MW coal-fired power plant at Jamshoro (Rs. 177 billion), the Power Distribution Enhancement Investment Programme (Tranche-I) Advanced Metering Infrastructure project (Rs. 16.9 billion), electricity distribution efficiency improvement projects in MEPCO (Rs. 10.2 billion) and HESCO (Rs. 8.1 billion), the 500kV Matiari–Moro–Rahim Yar Khan transmission line (Rs. 188.5 billion), and another electricity distribution efficiency improvement project costing Rs. 11.7 billion.
Major hydel and transmission projects also came under review, including the Dasu transmission lines, the Ghazi-Barotha Hydropower Project, the upgradation and extension of NTDC’s telecommunications and SCADA system at the National Power Control Centre, and the evacuation of power from the 2,160MW Dasu Hydropower Project (Stage-I).
The minister directed the secretaries of the Planning, Finance, Economic Affairs, Power, and Water Resources ministries to jointly identify financial, technical, and administrative bottlenecks and resolve them on a fast-track basis through coordinated action.
He said a disciplined three-year rolling plan would help prevent the accumulation of incomplete projects, contain fiscal pressures, and ensure public funds were translated into tangible improvements in energy security and economic growth.
The meeting concluded with instructions to finalise a priority-wise list of the most critical projects for the next three years and determine the minimum annual PSDP funding required to complete them within given timelines.
Stay Connected with ProPakistani
Get the latest business news, market insights, and economic updates wherever you prefer.
Add ProPakistani to Preferred Sources and see more of our stories in Google Search and Top Stories.
