KATHMANDU: Mohan Kumar Dangi, senior vice-president of the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal (IPPAN), has stated that the electricity bill registered in parliament should be withdrawn.
Speaking at a program organized on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the Department of Electricity Development, Dangi urged the newly appointed Energy Minister Deepak Khadka to withdraw the Electricity Bill 2080 and said that the bill should be amended. According to Dangi, the Electricity Act 2049 will be broadly accepted if it is amended to ensure the participation of the private sector in the electricity trade.
Dangi also mentioned that 31 hydropower projects damaged by last year's floods were unable to import goods under customs exemption due to the removal of the customs facility on spare parts given by the Electricity Act 2049. He urged the newly appointed energy minister to address this issue.
Additionally, Dangi noted that the private sector has faced uncontrollable situations such as floods and landslides, and requested for an extension of the Required Commercial Operation Date (RCOD) for all hydropower projects. He emphasized that Minister Khadka should pay attention to this matter as well.
Dangi further stated that the representation of the private sector, which accounts for 70 percent of the 3300 MW installed capacity of electricity, should be made mandatory in the various committees formed by the Ministry of Energy. This would create an environment where the private sector's concerns are heard, said Dangi. He also highlighted the need for all agencies related to the energy sector to work for the benefit of the 6 million investors who have invested in hydropower through the stock market.
Similarly, while addressing the program, the newly appointed Energy Minister, Deepak Khadka, said that he would make sincere efforts on behalf of the Ministry of Energy to address the demands of the private sector.
Recalling that more than 25 people died in his constituency and that many electricity projects were directly affected by the flood, Khadka said that not only hydropower promoters and farmers, but also other common people and businessmen were indirectly affected by natural disasters.
"The energy sector is the basis of Nepal's prosperity. Right now, this sector is contributing Rs 4 billion to Rs 5 billion in revenue annually," Khadka said. "In the coming days, we need to think about how much we can increase its contribution."
Khadka also mentioned that it is not possible to meet this demand without the help and support of the private sector as the government plans to export 10,000 megawatts of electricity to India in the near future, while domestic consumption is also expected to rise.
Khadka emphasized that the government and the private sector should work together to build the country.