Private sector will get power trade permission: Energy Minister Bhusal

KATHMANDU: The government will grant permission to the private sector for power trade in foreign countries, according to Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Pampha Bhusal. She said that the Ministry was preparing procedures for the same, which will come to effect in two months time. During the meeting with a delegation led by the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) including Chairperson Bishnu Kumar Agrawal on Thursday, Minister Bhusal shared that the work procedure is being prepared with thinking of guiding the private sector in inter-country power trade. She mentioned, "We will introduce a work procedure facilitating those producing and selling power ", adding the government would participate in transmission lines not only in power generation. The Energy Minister further said that the government would take special initiative for the export of power to Bangladesh. Similarly, Energy Secretary Devendra Karki said that India and Bangladesh are two important destinations for power export, adding the Ministry has tried to facilitate power trade activities through a separate high-level mechanism in both countries. Likewise, CNI Chairperson Agrawal urged the Ministry to create an environment for exporting power produced in Nepal to Bangladesh as there is a high demand for renewable energy in Bangladesh. "Though power export is challenging, there is high potential. The Private sector is ready and capable to work for it. The government should grant permission", he said. Agrawal also urged Minister Bhusal to form a high-level mechanism comprising government and private sector representatives to forward the power export. Agrawal further said that the mechanism formed with the participation of the private sector would work from government to government and government to private sector level for power export. Minister Bhusal in response to the CNI proposal said that the government was ready to move ahead to export power through the existing transmission line to India and Bangladesh or to make a new transmission line. CNI Chair Agrawal, Vice-Chairs Krishna Prasad Adhikari and Rohit Gupta, among others were present in the meeting held at the Energy Ministry. By RSS READ ALSO:

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