KARACHI:
The government has accepted the resignation of National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) Member Tariff, Mathar Niaz Rana.
Rana, a former federal bureaucrat, stepped down four months before the end of his term. Officials said his extension was unlikely due to concerns raised by various stakeholders about his performance. He was appointed on the recommendation of the Balochistan government, where he last served as chief secretary.
He did not cite an official reason for his resignation, though energy sector officials found the timing unusual, especially as the power sector was beginning to show signs of improvement.
Rana’s tenure coincided with a turbulent period for the energy sector, marked by tough regulatory decisionssome stemming from International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme requirements, but mostly due to systemic bureaucratic delays.
Officials said that one major example was the Muzaffargarh solar power project, whose bidding process failed repeatedly. Since 2021, the project was delayed, with officials blaming Rana’s indecisiveness.
The first bidding round in May 2023 saw no participation, allegedly due to NEPRA’s low benchmark tariff.
