ISLAMABAD: Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Wednesday described the CASA-1000 power project as ‘another game changer’ for Pakistan after the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to meet its energy needs.
“The Central Asia South Asia (CASA-1000) power project, which is scheduled to be launched on Thursday, will be another game changer for Pakistan to cope with its energy needs of 1,000 megawatt electricity by 2018,” Chairman of FPCCI Regional Standing Committee Ahmad Jawad told the media.
Under the project, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan would supply 1,000 MW electricity to Pakistan and 300 MW electricity to Afghanistan. The project is expected to be completed by 2018.
He expressed confidence that Pakistan under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif would have sufficient electricity in next two years to overcome the energy crisis due to concerted efforts of the present government.
Jawad said the improved electricity situation would help revive the sick and energy-starved industrial units and enhance their production, besides uplifting different sectors, including agriculture.
He said the nature had endowed Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan with some of the world’s most abundant clean hydropower resources with water cascading from the mountain ranges and filling the rivers every summer.
Jawad said both the countries had surplus electricity and they would help Pakistan and Afghanistan, which were suffering from ‘chronic power shortages.’
He said a new electricity transmission system to connect all four countries called ‘CASA-1000’ would help make the most efficient use of clean hydropower resources in the Central Asian countries enabling them to transfer and sell their surplus electricity during the summer months.
He said Tajikistan and Pakistan were keen to further boost existing bilateral trade and economic relations, and the two were actively working on increasing the ground and air links for the purpose.
Besides strengthening the economic ties, he expressed confidence that there would be increased direct flights and people-to-people contacts between the two countries.
Comparing cost of direct and indirect flights, he said an indirect flight cost Rs 120,000 per person which would be only Rs 35,000 in case of direct flight.
He said Pakistan was a gateway to the Central Asia for trade and it would be a tremendous source of revenue generation from the regional states.
He said improved links would provide opportunities for the Central Asian states to export their products to other countries.
The FPCCI committee chairman invited Tajik Chambers of Commerce to visit Pakistan to further strengthen business-to-business interaction.
