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Pakistan ends power purchase deals early to cut costs

Agreement with five independent power producers to revisit purchase contracts, which would save the country 60 billion rupees a year

Pakistan's government has reached an agreement with utilities to end power purchase contracts, including one with Pakistan's largest private utility that should have been in place until 2027, as part of efforts to lower costs, it said on Thursday.

The news confirms comment from Power Minister Awais Leghari to Reuters last month that the government was re-negotiating deals with independent producers to lower electricity tariffs as households and businesses struggle to manage soaring energy costs.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday Pakistan has agreed with five independent power producers to revisit purchase contracts, which he said would save the country 60 billion rupees ($216.10 million) a year.

The need to revisit the deals was an issue in talks for a critical staff-level pact in July with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $7-billion bailout.

Prior to the prime minister's announcement, Pakistan's biggest private utility, Hub Power Company Ltd, said the company agreed to prematurely end a contract with the government to buy power from a southwestern generation project.

In a note to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, it said the government had agreed to meet its commitments up to October 1, instead of an initial date of March 2027, in an action taken "in the greater national interest".

A decade ago, Pakistan approved dozens of private projects by independent power producers (IPPs), financed mostly by foreign lenders, to tackle chronic shortages.

But the deals, featuring incentives, such as high guaranteed returns and commitments to pay even for unused power, resulted in excess capacity after a sustained economic crisis reduced consumption.

Short of funds, the government has built those fixed costs and capacity payments into consumer bills, sparking protests by domestic users and industry bodies.

Pakistan has begun talks on re-profiling power sector debt owed to China and structural reforms, but progress has been slow. It has also said it will stop power sector subsidies.