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Electricity transmission restored across country: Power Division

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  • An accidental fault had triggered an almost day-long power outage in the Southern parts of Pakistan.
  • The fault could not be fixed despite passing of more than 24 hours since it was detected.  
  • Power Division says only routine power load-shedding is being carried out in country.

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: After an almost day-long outage, the Power Division on Friday said that electricity transmission and generation have been restored across the country adding that only routine power load-shedding is being carried.

“Electricity transmission and generation have been restored across Pakistan including restoration of full supply from national grid to Karachi,” the division said in a statement.

Power outage yet to be controlled

Earlier today, sources within the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) had said that the countrywide power crisis, caused due to an “accidental fault” in the national grid, had not been controlled yet. 

Sources in the NTDC said that it was a major breakdown and could not be controlled even after 24 hours as the authorities have yet to identify the fault.  

The sources added that cities have been facing four hours of loadshedding while rural areas are suffering from a 12-hour-long power outage.

Meanwhile, power plants have not been fully energised and the country still faces a 4,500MW power shortfall while the frequency fluctuation is making things more complex.

The electricity is being restored from the power plants slowly to the system, said the sources. They added that this is the 16th breakdown in the last 10 years. 

Large parts of the country were in dark for more than 12 hours on Thursday after a fault was detected in the national grid’s southern transmission system.

Energy Minister Khurram Dastagir said that an “accidental fault” triggered the breakdown and announced the establishment of a committee to probe the matter and submit a report within four days.

‘Power supply will improve’

Meanwhile, the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) spokesperson said that the electricity demand in the region is 1,280MW while the national grid is supplying 1,080MW.

Once the electricity supply is back to normal, the situation will improve, said the spokesperson. 

‘Power supply stabilised in Karachi’

In a statement, K-Electric said that the supply of electricity in Karachi was restored in a phase-wise manner. 

KE began phase-wise restoration efforts with first priority on strategic installations such as KWSB pumping stations, airports, and hospitals, said the power utility. 

Later, the supply was diverted to residential areas including but not limited to PECHS, Orangi, Lyari, Ibrahim Hyderi, Nazimabad, and Defence Housing Authority.

The technical constraints at the national grid may persist over the next 48 hours and to manage the constraints, KE may temporarily curtail power supply to industrial zones during nighttime hours to facilitate residential areas.

The power supply company said it may also have to conduct loadshedding.

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Pak Suzuki plans to export cars

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  • Company working on hybrid variants, says CEO. 
  • Hiroshi Kawamura calls local participants for joint efforts.
  • Notable part manufacturers attend meeting. 

LAHORE: Pak Suzuki Motor Company Ltd (PSMCL) chief executive Hiroshi Kawamura has said that the company has been working on exports of cars which have been upgraded to many WP-29 standards, The News reported Friday. 

Addressing the second round of interactive meetings with the part-makers — held under the banner of Suzuki Motors — Kawamura said that the economic issues were transitory and the automobile company was committed to providing affordable vehicles to common Pakistanis.

The CEO also revealed that the company was working on hybrid variants.

Participants of the meeting, which was attended by notable part manufacturers, unanimously agreed that the automakers should promote localisation, while also reaching out to global markets.

Calling the local participants for joint efforts, Kawamura said: “It is imperative to take stock of the escalating crisis collectively for the automotive industry.” 

“Nothing can be achieved without local partners.”

Addressing the meeting, Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM) Senior Vice Chairman Usman Aslam Malik assured of complete support to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for the export of auto components.

It should be noted that WP-29 standards are a unique worldwide regulatory forum within the institutional framework of the UNECE Inland Transport Committee.

Three UN Agreements, adopted in 1958, 1997 and 1998, provide the legal framework allowing contracting parties (member countries) attending the WP.29 sessions to establish regulatory instruments concerning motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment.

Those are UN Regulations, annexed to the 1958 Agreement; United Nations Global Technical Regulations (UN GTRs), associated with the 1998 Agreement; and UN Rules, annexed to the 1997 Agreement.

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Govt plans austerity measures by slashing Rs1.9tr expenditures

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  • Govt decides reducing operational spending on devolved ministries.
  • Recommends ban on new posts, hiring daily wages/other staff, etc. 
  • Considers implementing cost-sharing mechanism of BISP with provinces. 


ISLAMABAD: The caretaker government is planning to take austerity measures by cutting down expenditures by Rs1.9 trillion including banning new posts, purchasing security vehicles, and slashing down allocation for development, The News reported Friday. 

The government has also considered making a treasury single account (TSA) and asking the federal ministries and attached departments to shift the money into the federal government account to save up to Rs424 billion.

It has been calculated that 10% of the expenditures incurred on running the federal government in FY22 could save Rs54 billion as worked out by the World Bank. 

The government has also decided to reduce the operational spending on devolved ministries to save up to Rs328 billion for the whole financial year 2023-24. 

In the aftermath of the 18th Amendment, different subjects were transferred to the provinces but the centre continued spending, causing losses to the national exchequer.

A detailed working of the government considered by the high-profile Cabinet Committee on Economic Revival (CCER) so far proposed certain austerity measures to cut down the expenditures by up to Rs1.9 trillion on a short-term basis. 

However, it is yet to be seen if these measures will be implemented in letter and spirit. 

It recommended that the federal and provincial governments both take austerity measures to reduce the expenditures by Rs54 billion for six months such as slapping a ban on new posts, hiring of daily wages/other staff, ban on purchasing new vehicles including from project funding, ban on purchase of machinery and equipment except medical, ban on travel abroad including official visits, medical treatment, cabinet members to forego pay and government vehicles and security vehicles to be withdrawn.

The ambitious plan also envisages that the triage of 14 loss-making entities will potentially save Rs458 billion for the whole financial year. The reduced operational spending on devolved ministries is going to save up to Rs328 billion during the current financial year.

The Ministry of Finance has estimated that the devolution of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to the provinces would save Rs70 billion per annum. Education had become a provincial subject in the aftermath of the 18th Amendment but the Center recontinued with the HEC at the federal level. 

The caretaker regime has placed it as an agenda to devolve the HEC to the provinces so it is yet to see how much they are going to succeed on this front. 

Moreover, it is also considering implementing the cost-sharing mechanism of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) with the provinces to save Rs217 billion on an annual basis.

The federal government is also considering re-focusing the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) spending only on federally mandated projects which could save Rs315 billion annually. 

Caretaker Minister for Finance Dr Shamshad Akhtar had already directed the minister for planning to work out details of projects of a provincial nature for their removal from the list of PSDP to cut down the expenditures by Rs315 billion for the current fiscal year. 

The last Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led regime had allocated Rs950 billion for the PSDP in budget 2023-24.

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PKR on track to become top-performing currency this month: Bloomberg

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  • Pakistani currency rose around 6% this month against dollar.
  • Authorities curb leakages happening through illegal channels. 
  • Crackdown on illegal dollar traders helps local currency. 

The Pakistani rupee is on track to become the top performer globally in September as the caretaker government continues its crackdown on illegal dollar trade, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

The local currency rose around 6% this month against the dollar — an amazing feat despite the Thai baht and South Korean won tumbling against the greenback.

Major currencies lost ground against the dollar on speculations that the US interest rates will stay elevated for longer.

The rupee increased 0.1% to 287.95 per dollar on Thursday, after sliding to a record low of about 307 this month. Pakistan’s currency market will remain closed for the Eid Miladun Nabi holiday on Friday.

“Many leakages were happening through illegal channels of hawala and hundi trade from the open market,” Khurram Schehzad, chief executive officer of Alpha Beta Core Solutions Pvt Ltd, told Bloomberg.

“When the dollar rate reverses everybody, the hoarders, the exporters who are holding their export proceeds, start selling their dollars,” Schehzad said.

The interim rulers have intensified efforts by launching a crackdown on people involved in the illegal dollar trade, allowing the currency to gain some lost ground.

The Federal Investigation Agency, Bloomberg reported, conducted raids across the country and security officials in plainclothes were deployed at money exchanges to monitor dollar sales as part of the crackdown.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar this week said the rupee’s gain is “fostering optimism for stability.”

For its part, the State Bank of Pakistan raised the capital requirements of smaller exchange companies and ordered large banks to open their own exchange companies to make the retail foreign exchange market more transparent and easier to monitor.

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