Govt to take new policy to increase power consumption

KATHMANDU: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal has announced to bring a new policy to increase consumption of power in the domestic market. Addressing a programme in Kathmandu on Monday, Energy Minister Bhusal said industries will be increased and electric vehicles and electric stoves will be promoted to increase electricity consumption in the domestic market. She stated that country’s trade deficit was rising owing to a huge amount of import of petroleum products, and argued that import of petroleum products could be substituted with electricity. So far in the current fiscal year 2021/22, the country has imported petroleum products worth Rs 220 billion. Minister Bhusal also stated that foreign currency could be imported into the country by exporting our surplus electricity. “In the current fiscal year, 39 megawatts (MW) of power is being exported. “We are in a position to export electricity worth Rs 2 billion in the current fiscal. In the next fiscal year, around 500MW of power will be exported from which around Rs 12 to 15 billion could be earned. After five years, we will be in a position to export power worth more than Rs 50 billion,” said Minister Bhusal. READ ALSO:

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