Notice (8): Trying to access array offset on value of type null [APP/View/Articles/view.ctp, line 115]
Notice (8): Trying to access array offset on value of type null [APP/View/Articles/view.ctp, line 115]
Notice (8): Trying to access array offset on value of type null [APP/View/Articles/view.ctp, line 116]

Govt to Remove Policy Hurdles in Hydro Electricity Production

  2 min 6 sec to read
Govt to Remove Policy Hurdles in Hydro Electricity Production
Notice (8): Undefined index: caption [APP/View/Articles/view.ctp, line 241]

December 16: The government has announced various measures aimed at removing policy obstructions to facilitate development of hydropower projects in the country. Speaking at the Power Summit ‘16 organised by the Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN), Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal said that the policy changes would secure and guarantee investments of private power producers.  The two-day event began in the capital on December 15 with the main theme of “10,000MW in 10 Years”. The policy changes will come as value added tax (VAT) rebate of Rs 5 million per megawatt produced by the private producers. Similarly, the government has announced that it will not engaged in development of hydropower projects lesser than 100MW capacity. Similarly, it also plans to replace the existing ‘Take and Pay’ provision with ‘Take or Pay’. Under this the government will purchase all the electricity produced by private producers. Likewise, minister Sharma also informed that the policy allowing the private producers to participate as institutional investors in government projects will also be introduced.

“The government formed under my leadership after the declaring Nepal a Federal Democratic Republic announced to produce 10,000MW in 10 years,” PM Dahal mentioned. “Now the government is active to achieve that aim by addressing issues related to policy, legal, and technical aspects of power production.” Stating that the government cannot alone produce the targeted amount of power, Dahal said that it is possible to produce power exceeding the target with the participation of the private sector.  He also mentioned that the government will talk to the India regarding the ‘Guidelines on Cross Border Trade of Electricity’ recently issued by Indian power ministry. The new directive has made it difficult for Nepali and foreign power producers except those from India to develop export-oriented hydroelectric projects in Nepal. As per the directive, India will only import power produced from hydroelectric projects of neighbouring countries with at least 51 per cent equity of Indian companies or those with 100 equity of the neighbouring governments.

Speaking at the inaugural event, energy minister Janardan Sharma cited the lack of willingness as the main factor obstructing the production of electricity in sufficient quantity. “If we have the will to do so, the problems will solve eventually,” he expressed. He informed that various changes in policy will take place in order to spur the HEP development.

 

Deprecated (16384): Using key `action` is deprecated, use `url` directly instead. [CORE/Cake/View/Helper/FormHelper.php, line 383]
No comments yet. Be the first one to comment.