Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Pampha Bhusal, has said that a power purchase agreement (PPA) would be signed on the basis of market certainty.
During the meeting with a delegation of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday, Minister Bhusal clarified that PPA would be forwarded only after carrying out a study of the balance of demand and supply of power.
Saying domestic investment is positive for hydropower production, she shared that the Ministry was positive about the construction of projects by FNCCI.
The Energy Minister stressed that the FNCCI should take initiatives to establish industries consuming more electricity and to bring in such industries.
Assuring to provide electricity in the places demanded by industrialists and entrepreneurs, she opined, “We will provide electricity in demanded places by completing infrastructure construction soon.”
The Ministry has not taken a policy to increase power tariff in the private sector even though people below the poverty line have been getting electricity service free of cost, argued Minister Bhusal.
Similarly, Energy Secretary Debendra Karki said that the government would be positive if the private sector wants to produce electricity by doing PPA. The team comprising senior President of FNCCI, Chandra Dhakal, urged the Ministry to pave ways for PPA and not to forward the proposal made lately to increase the tariff of power.