ISLAMABAD: A major shipment of clinical and diagnostic equipment to deal with the coronavirus pandemic is going to arrive in Pakistan on Thursday, a senior health official told Arab News.
“This procurement of medical equipment was done through UNICEF in coordination with the Ministry of Health. We have focused not only on clinical but also diagnostic equipment for our medical teams,” Malik Muhammad Safi, director general for health, told Arab News on Wednesday. He added that personal safety equipment such as N-95 masks and protective wear for medical workers have also been purchased.
The Ministry of Planning allocated $238 million from the World Bank for COVID-19 emergency response and to address the socio-economic disruption the outbreak has caused.
“This amount of $238 million from the World Bank is a soft loan and to be utilized through UNICEF,” Safi said.
“We have also ordered medical equipment like ventilators and testing lab kits. Once this consignment will be delivered to us by UNICEF, we will use it to establish 42 testing labs at each divisional headquarters of Pakistan,” he said, adding that the ministry has already established testing labs in Peshawar, Gilgit, Quetta, Taftan, Lahore, and Karachi.
Meanwhile, the National Institute of Health (NIH) is developing locally made testing kits.
“We have acquired sufficient quantity of testing kits and NIH has sent 2,000 kits to Punjab and 1,000 to Gilgit-Baltistan on Tuesday. One kit can take around 96 tests. We have also procured another 2 million kits from China, which will arrive by the end of month,” Safi said.
The National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) granted $50 million to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Wednesday to deal with the health crisis.
“This funding is for six months duration with an objective to effectively respond to minimize impact of coronavirus, through surveillance strengthening, case management, infection prevention and protection of medical and para medical staff through provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other materials for COVID-19 response,” the NDMA said in a statement.
The World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and International Money Fund (IMF) have announced $14 billion, $6.5 billion and $50 billion respectively in initial packages to support companies and countries in their efforts to prevent, detect and respond to the rapid spread of COVID-19.
Pandemic response: Medical equipment to reach Pakistan on Thursday, says health ministry
https://arab.news/4a7bv
Pandemic response: Medical equipment to reach Pakistan on Thursday, says health ministry
- Health director general says 2 million test kits from China will arrive by the end of month
- Ministry of Planning allocated $238 million from the World Bank for COVID-19 emergency response
Pakistan considers shift to net billing for rooftop solar to ease power sector losses
- As per new proposal, solar consumers will sell electricity to national grid at around 60 percent lower rates, buy power at prevailing commercial rates
- Solar associations warn consumers will suffer if plan is approved, alleging it is aimed at benefiting Pakistan’s power distribution companies
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government is considering replacing its net metering policy for rooftop solar with a net billing mechanism for solar consumers across the country, an official confirmed on Wednesday, as Islamabad looks to ease financial strain on the struggling power sector.
Under the proposed framework for the net billing system, electricity generated by rooftop solar systems and exported to the national grid by consumers would be bought at a rate 60 percent lower than the previous price of electricity. Consumers, on the other hand, will continue to buy power from the national grid at the prevailing commercial rates. Net metering, on the other hand, allows power consumers to offset exported units directly against imported electricity at the same price.
Government officials say the policy change is aimed at easing mounting financial pressure on Pakistan’s power sector, where rapid solar adoption has reduced revenues for distribution companies even as fixed capacity payments to power producers continue to rise.
Pakistan has seen a surge in residential and commercial solar systems in recent years as soaring electricity prices drive inflation and power outages increase in the country.
“Under the proposed regulations, net billing will apply to both old and new customers who will have to pay full commercial tariffs for all imported units,” a National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) official told Arab News on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
However, he clarified the new rules would be implemented after a public hearing and NEPRA obtains feedback from stakeholders.
Commercial electricity tariffs range between Rs30 and Rs50 per unit depending on consumption slabs, taxes, fixed charges and Time of Use (TOU) rates. The official said the average energy price stands at Rs10–12 per unit, while the average Power Purchase Price (PPP) stands at around Rs25 per unit.
As per the government’s proposal, which is available on NEPRA’s website, new solar consumers would get the lower average energy price while existing customers would continue receiving the higher PPP rates until the expiry of their seven-year contracts.
Pakistan Energy Minister Sardar Awais Leghari told Arab News the government would present its position during NEPRA’s public hearing expected next month.
“Contractual obligations will be fulfilled for existing consumers while new consumers will receive energy rates for their produced units as per NEPRA’s proposal,” Leghari said, adding that consultations would continue for at least a month.
Asked whether the policy could be revised, Leghari said: “Only if the regulator approves.”
The government’s proposal has sparked strong concerns among consumers, energy experts and industry stakeholders, who warn the plan could slow the adoption of renewable energy as Pakistan struggles with climate vulnerability, rising fuel import bills and deepening circular debt in the power sector.
Hasnat Ahmad Khan, senior vice president of the Pakistan Solar Association (PSA), told Arab News that consumers would suffer if the new regulations are approved.
“People have invested their hard-earned money to install solar systems and many have even taken loans,” Khan noted. “The new rules will make it difficult for them to recover their investment.”
Khan said industry representatives recently met NEPRA officials, urging them to protect existing consumers and allow new solar users to sell surplus electricity at the PPP rates of around Rs25 per unit instead of lower energy rates.
“This is green energy and it should be encouraged,” he said. “If change is unavoidable, existing consumers must be protected and new consumers should at least be given PPP rates.”
Khan warned that the new regulations would benefit only power distribution companies.
“They will buy solar energy at very low rates and sell it to non-solar neighbors at much higher tariffs,” he noted.
The PSA official said utilities should pay more for solar power since it is supplied without transmission losses.
Pakistan, one of the countries most affected by climate change, has repeatedly pledged to increase its share of renewable energy in its power mix.
Critics argue that weakening incentives for rooftop solar risks undermining those commitments and could place an additional burden on consumers already suffering from inflation and rising utility costs.
