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Money spent on generators import could build new power houses

Dunya News

Generators worth billion of rupees have been imported as country is facing severe power shortage.

According to experts, six percent of 6,000MW of electricity for domestic and commercial users is being produced by generators run on petrol and diesel. The experts said that about 900,000 generators in the country consume worth Rs 150 million fuel in two hours. According to figures released by the Trade Ministry, power plants worth $1 billion are imported every year, but their import volume remained at $700 million in the fiscal year ending in June 2011. According to the technical point of view, about 1MW costs Rs 11.2 million through generators while power houses cost stands at only Rs 1.2 million per megawatt.The government had no interest in stopping generators’ import because it had earned Rs 100 billion in terms of sales tax, import duty and advance income tax. $4billion have been spent on generators’ import during the last four years and these generators only produce 360MW, while 4,000MW electricity can be produced if the same amount is used to construct new power houses.