ISLAMABAD: As many as 659 employees of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have been found holding fake educational degrees, Minister for Aviation Division informed the National Assembly on Thursday.
A written reply submitted by the minister in the Lower House revealed that 391 of the 659 employees have been dismissed from service. While 251 employees are waiting for their cases to be heard, official investigations are underway in cases of 17 others, the reply stated.
The minister presented the details of the losses incurred by the national flag carrier over the years in the National Assembly, with a loss of Rs43.65 billion reported in year 2017 alone.
Separately, the National Assembly passed the Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power (Amendment) Bill, 2018, with majority votes by rejecting an amendment moved by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmaker Sajid Nawaz.
State Minister for Power Division Abid Sher Ali moved the bill to further amend the Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power Act, 1997.
The statement of objects and reasons of the bill says that power policy 2002 was introduced to facilitate and encourage private sector participation in the sector. It was expected that under the supervision of NEPRA, the power sector would be radically turned around and the public footprint would be gradually reduced in the wake of competitive tariff structures.However, the expected outcomes were not successfully met apparently because of a regulatory framework which did not adequately cater for moving to competitive and therefore more efficient power sector transactions.
The framework also placed excessive focus on tariff setting by the regulator. In 2013, the Council of Common Interests (CCI) approved the national power policy, laying down key components of a development strategy for achieving an efficient, competitive and sustainable power sector inPakistan.
The policy not only affirmed the resolve of the federal government to limit its role to policy making but also ensure that unless necessary, service delivery will be promoted through a fiercely competitive and transparent private sector. It also approved the strengthening of NEPRA as a world class regulatory authority with sophisticated and efficient capacity to establish tariffs and set the foundation for competitive bidding process.
Published in Daily Times, March 16th 2018.
