The Power Department has initiated an investigation against the National Transmission and Dispatch Corporation (NTDC) over the removal of several development schemes from the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP).
Business Registrar It stated that the plans that were removed include the World Bank-financed Electricity Distribution Efficiency Improvement Project (EDEIP).
The deletion of major development plans has disrupted project operations, including consultant salaries and the completion of new contracts, since the beginning of the financial year.
Power Department Special Secretary Arshad Majeed Mohmand, who was appointed as the investigating officer, issued a warning to NTDC Managing Director Waseem Yunus.
On November 13, the investigation requested records related to the 2024-2025 fiscal year within a week. However, despite multiple reminders, the NTDC failed to comply until December 20, when the Special Secretary confirmed receipt of the necessary documents.
Sources in the Economic Affairs Department (EAD) highlighted that delays in the recruitment of Project Implementation and Management Support Consultants (PIMSCs) for critical procurement at Power Distribution Companies (Discos) have also come under scrutiny.
A meeting chaired by Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema identified insufficient progress in reforms and frequent staff turnover at the discotheques as the main issues hampering the implementation of the project.
The World Bank’s Implementation Support Mission has previously flagged concerns about the EDEIP project, revealing that only 3.6% of funds had been disbursed after three years, significantly delaying progress.
Instructions were issued to the Energy Department to expedite the recruitment of consultants and resolve bottlenecks in the implementation of the project.
The government has requested additional financing of $50 million from the World Bank to implement the Asset Performance Management System at PESCO and HESCO.
The bank also urged Discos to address vulnerabilities identified during its August-September 2024 mission. The Energy Division has been advised to delegate greater decision-making authority to Discos CEOs to ensure timely implementation of reforms and projects.