THIS is with reference to the letter ‘The right man for the right job’ (Sept 29), which broadly discussed the decision-making process in technical matters that are generally beyond the capacity of our bureaucrats.

I would like to quote a case where a professional’s proposal was over-ridden by a Central Superior Services (CSS) officer due to which the country is still paying a huge cost.

Back in 2006, a delegation headed by the relevant minister, accompanied by a team of professionals, visited China to negotiate tariff with a public-sector Chinese company having prepared a feasibility study at its own cost to develop a coal block at Thar, and to commission a power plant under the government’s Power Policy 2002.

After almost a week-long negotiation, the delegation managed to settle with the Chinese company on a levelised power tariff of 5.75 cents per kwh for 30 years. The Pakistani ambassador in China was fully apprised of all the negotiations on a daily basis, and finally on the agreed tariff which was subject to the final approval from Islamabad.

On return, a summary was presented to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), headed by Shaukat Aziz, the then prime minister, for approval. As such, in the meeting, no member of the delegation present during the negotiations was invited. In the summary, it was clearly mentioned that the Chinese company had categorically stated that even a fraction of a penny less than the agreed power tariff would make the project unviable, and they would not undertake it.

After this, the ECC decided that the prime minister would himself negotiate the power tariff with the Chinese firm during his planned visit to China. The deal fell through because the premier tried to push for a rate of 5.39 cents/kwh.

As the focal person in the Ministry of Petroleum at the time, I tried to dig out the source and rationale behind the revised rate. It turned out that a letter addressed to the premier by the ambass-ador in China had suggested the new ‘offer’ without any rationale. All the efforts of technical professionals of various ministries was ignored.

After many years of hectic efforts and repeated requests to the Chinese gove- rnment, the Chinese firm agreed to take up the project at an even higher rate that was agreed earlier.

The non-professional attitude of the ambassador and his unnecessary interv-ention without any rationale cost the country a delay in the commissioning of the project by almost 10 years, and an increase in power tariff by almost 2.25 cents.

Presently, the coal projects in Thar are producing about 2000MW power, and Pakistan is paying an increased tariff worth millions of rupees per day, and that, too, in foreign exchange.

When you have the wrong man doing the wrong job, this is what happens.

Rashid Malik
Ex-Director-General (Minerals),
former Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Resources
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2024