The Asian Development Bank (ADB) today approved a $300 million policy-based loan to support financial, technical, and governance reforms to strengthen Pakistan’s energy sector and improve its financial sustainability.

The financing is part of the second subprogram of ADB’s Energy Sector Reforms and Financial Sustainability Program, which aims to improve the governance of Pakistan’s energy sector and reduce and manage the accumulated cash shortfall across the power supply chain known as circular debt. The first subprogram for the amount of $300 million was approved in December 2019.

“As Pakistan’s key development partner in the energy sector, ADB has been supporting the government to expand access to reliable, affordable electricity and help enact reforms that make the sector more efficient and sustainable,” said ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov.

“This program will help facilitate public and private sector investment across the energy sector value chain through key policies and integrated planning, and will help expand renewable energy generation,” he added.

Disruption from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic stressed the finances and supply chains of Pakistan’s energy sector, slowing the pace of sector reforms initiated by the government in 2019. Losses incurred by state-owned enterprises that impacted the energy sector’s circular debt, together with pandemic relief measures put unprecedented pressure on the energy sector’s liquidity and finances.

Reforms under ADB’s program will help make Pakistan’s energy sector more financially sustainable by addressing inefficient tariffs and subsidies, high generation costs, system losses, and a lack of integrated planning. The program also aims to enhance energy infrastructure and professionalize the management of energy entities to improve their performance.

“ADB continues to work with development partners to advance crucial energy sector reforms and implement a road map for a competitive electricity market,” said ADB Central and West Asia Director for Energy Joonho Hwang.

“Ultimately, these reforms will help improve the quality and reliability of power supply to the benefit of all—commercial, domestic, urban, and rural consumers,” he added.

Source: Pro Pakistani