Pakistan looks abroad to boost energy capacity
PAKISTAN: Pakistan needs to increase its energy capacity by
10,000 megawatts by 2015 and is hoping foreign investors can help it
halt damaging power cuts, the country’s investment minister said Friday.
Waqar Ahmed Khan said Pakistan was looking to foreign firms to help
it deal with its energy shortfall, which has seen regular blackouts that
have prompted riots in Karachi.
Khan added that Chinese companies had expressed a clear desire to
invest in the energy sector, particularly in the provision of
hydropower.
“Chinese companies are extremely interested in building dams in
Pakistan,” he told reporters in Hong Kong, after a visit to Shanghai and
Beijing.
He said the government would boost capacity by 3,000 megawatts by the
end of the year, but demand would remain high. Industry, including the
crucial textile sector, has suffered from the inconsistent supply.
Khan is on a foreign tour to try to attract investment into Pakistan,
and will see him also visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
He said there were also opportunities for investment in the
agriculture, housing, natural resources, IT and infrastructure sectors.
“Let me assure you that the security situation is much better,” he
said.
HONG KONG, Friday, AFP
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