PM okays LNG Plant near Rahim Yar Khan

on 03/07/2017

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has allowed raising an LNG (liquid natural gas) power plant. He decided this presiding over a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCE). He deferred two agenda items relating to circular debt and load management plan but took interest in a presentation for setting up of a major power plant on what was called `Bhikki model`.At a previous CCE meeting, Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif had noted that Rahim Yar Khan’s 1,200MW coal based project had been shelved. He asked that the project will be revived after converting it into an LNG plant.PM had directed Water and Power Ministry to evaluate reviving the project after converting it into a LNG plant and whether or not it could be included in projects coming under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).So while Ministry’s evaluation was still awaited, CEO Punjab`s Quaid-i- Azam Thermal Co, Ahad Cheema, made a presentation on the subject. He proposed that a new LNG based project should be launched on  `Bhikki model` and NEPRA (National Electric Power Regulatory Authority)  be asked to give a reference tariff for bidding. The tariff could be adjusted on the basis of bidding.Interestingly, the Bhikki plant has been facing technical and mechanical problems since inauguration by PM in April. The PM had approved the scheme in principle but said the new plant should be situated near main gas pipeline so that expenditures were kept to a minimum, unlike the Nandipur plan. According to a source neither did Cheema mention the proposed location of the project nor did PM asked him to do so. But it was clear from proceedings of CCE`s meetings that LNG project would be located near Rahim Yar Khan. Power ministry would now be required to move a summary to cabinet for approval.Sources said that two coal based projects of 1,200MW to 1,320MW capacity originally planned for Rahim Yar Khan and Muzaffargarh were removed from CPEC list for investments in Diamer- Bhasha dam. An official said a ministerial committee led by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and comprising ministers and secretaries of Petroleum and Power Ministries that was set up to analyse demand and supply situation of projects being erected for up to September 2018 had completed its work.The PM asked the committee to continue working on plan for period ending in 2023. The committee would submit its report in August this year.The meeting was also briefed on utilising idle capacity of independent power plants under litigation in light of consultation with the law ministry.An official statement said the PM directed that changes be made in scheduled outages of power plants for repair and maintenance from summer to winter season in a way that maximum electricity was provided when most required during months of peak demand. CCE unanimously decided that during Ramazan no power shutdown would be done for development work. It was also decided that increase in use of electricity appliances due to economic prosperity and behaviour patterns of power consumers, be included in estimating projected demand.

CDWP approves Karachi, Peshawar mass transit programs

on 23/05/2017

The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has cleared for the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) two major mass transit programs one for Karachi and the other for Peshawar. The moot approved a total of16 development projects costing Rs130 billion. The two projects (in Karachi and Peshawar) which are part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are expected to be formally approved on the sidelines of upcoming One Belt, One Road conference in China this month. Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal presided over the CWDP meeting in Islamabad. The other projects are related to energy, transport and communication, water resources and manpower. Also, the moot approved concept clearance papers of two projects such as Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway (M6) worth Rs238bn and Sindh Renewable Energy Development Project (SREDP) $122 million. Four major projects of transport and communication sectors costing Rs.102 billion were recommended keeping in view the approval limits of the CDWP.The meeting which gave its nod on revival of Karachi Circular Railway (Rs27.6bn) asked the provincial government for rationalization of the cost. Also it would be ensured that the stations and other buildings to be constructed under the project matched the historical architecture of Karachi. Under the project, 43.2km double railway track would be constructed besides 24 stations. The meeting also approved Rs56.8bn for Peshawar Sustainable Bus Rapid Transit Corridor Project of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. The project, planned to be constructed with Rs48bn loan from the ADB, envisaged construction of 25.8km-long road track, 32 stations with commercial buildings and other allied facilities. The project, planned to be executed in 12 months, is expected to facilitate 472,000 people per day in its initial phase. The meeting also approved Karachi Neighborhood Improvement Project (KNIP) worth Rs10.5bn, a four-lane bridge across River Indus connecting Kallur Kot Bhakkar with Dhakki area of Dera Ismail Khan costing Rs7bn, a 30-megwatt Hydro Power Project in Ghowari in Gilgit Baltistan costing Rs7.9bn besides six water related projects worth Rs6.6bn which include three small dams.

Why technical training institutes have failed to provide skilled professionals?

on 22/05/2017

Obviously lack of Quality Education and increasing gap between Technical Institutes and Industries are the main reasons.  Infinity School of Engineering (ISE) is the first and only Technical Training Institute that is owned by a group of industries, which is Ravi-Infinity Group. ISE is committed to abridge the existing gap between Technical Training Institutes and Industries by providing on job trainings to individual learner in Ravi-Infinity Group as well as in consortium industries. ISE is   providing not only Knowledge in classrooms, but also the Technical Skills in modern equipped labs and professional attitude to individual learner through life skill sessions. ISE is striving to convert the Technical Education Systems according to the international quality education standards to cope with the international requirements. With the passion of improving the quality of vocational education, ISE started working on ISO 29990 which provides high level of quality and internationally recognized standards in vocational or non-formal education. For the development of ISO 29990, ISE joined hands with PUM, which is a Netherlands based organization of world’s senior  experts. Mr. Paul Schouten from PUM visited ISE for developing the Standard 

Operating Procedures (SOP’s) according to the norms of ISO 29990 in December 2016 for three weeks. After that the management of ISE worked for four months to develop a solid management structure under the guidelines of ISO 29990.Mr. Paul Schouten visited ISE again in April 2017 for two weeks and Quality Enhancement Cell of ISE presented its management system to him, for getting confidence before implementation. In near future, ISE will be ISO 29990 certified after its implementation and will become pioneer for ISO 29990 in Pakistan. www.infinity.edu.pk

0301-5644724, 0334-4228634, 042-37970011,

www. facebook.com/infinityschoolofengineering

Address:18-Km, Sheikhupura Road, Lahore.

Improving Engineering Education

on 20/05/2017

By Khalid Pervez

There could be no denying the fact that engineering graduates have a strategic and long-term impact on quality and productivity growth in industry and service sectors. To produce high quality industrial products and render international-level services that are price competitive both within and outside the country, we need a high number of well trained and well qualified engineering graduates. The pressing needs that are opening because CPEC and would have a long-term impact, further enhance concerns on quality engineering education.

Some of the issues which surround our engineering education system are:

Outdated curriculum which is not in line with industry requirements and absence of academic framework to constantly respond to the changing needs;

Employers are not happy with engineering graduates and there’s no serious engagement between education providers and employers;

Focus of most of the institutions is undergraduate teaching and the post-graduate programs and research is weak; 

 

Lack of system capacity building effort and its enterprising and innovation character;

Accreditation is more of a compliance rather than an improvement tool;

95 to 100 percent revenue from government disbursement and/or student fees;

 No participation in regional development.

It’s generally agreed that betterment of the overall engineering education system requires that all the stakeholders must effectively play their due role. The recognized stakeholders are: Students, Faculty/Educators, Alumnai, Administrators, Innovators, Entrepreneurs, Industry Professionals & Leaders. However, the key obstacle is the lack of ability to develop sustainable framework of long term development together with its implementation.

Briefly speaking, the steps that can transform an engineering education system are:

  1.  Strengthen governance and leadership, which apart from other things also includes increasing the number of autonomous institutions and strengthened role of regulatory bodies to carefully grant accreditation and monitor performance of existing and new institutions. With respect to governance it’s important to make the governing body stronger. It indeed requires inclusion of qualified and competent outside professionals. This concept would meet with much resistance both from public and private sector institutions. But that’s where the independent regulatory body would have to use its muscles
  2. Improve the quality of teaching, learning and research such that there’s greater focus on outcome based education. This requires that the faculty is well qualified and competent, the atmosphere is conducive to effective teaching, learning and research and there’s continuous curriculum development to cater to the changing needs of industry and end-users.
  3. There’s a need of devising a well thought through criteria for rating all universities and institutions. This must be the task of independent regulatory body. The secured ratings should be applied both for encouragement and reprimands.
  4.  Develop stronger industry-institution collaborations. There have been many efforts in the past – some with good outcome – but these couldn’t be sustained due to lack of a clear end goal and implementation hiccups. This must be made mandatory, started and continued on permanent basis and should include internships, engagement of faculty on suitable assignments, etc.
  5. Encourage innovation and entrepreneurship. This could be implemented in several ways, depending on the strengths of a university or institution, its location, etc. At the beginning, it could just provide incentives to students and faculty for feasible ideas and later it could develop into facilities that are common to institutions and industry. Such facilities may consist of special laboratories and workshop for specific purposes where university-industry joint projects could be handled, in turn, creating stronger industry-academia linkage. Success of such linkages could greatly contribute in innovation, entrepreneurship, talent fostering and building up education system which is receptive to market needs.
  6.  Implement a national concerted initiative to improve engineering education. A national concerted initiative must be launched by the government with input, participation and commitment from all the stakeholders on improving the quality and relevance of engineering education. The national agenda must at least address the four key dimensions: strengthening governance and leadership; improving the quality of teaching and learning; fostering stronger industry/institute collaboration; and building innovation and entrepreneurship at the engineering institutions.

    The concerted effort should systematically monitor, refine, and evaluate the progress made at all the universities and institutions which must be tied up with institution ranking and accreditation.

    Notwithstanding a discussion on polytechnic institutes which run Associate Engineer [diploma] or BTech programs, it could be stated that they too are in dire need of holistic approach to enhance their effectiveness in imparting quality education.

    In conclusion, it could be emphasized that our engineering education system needs major uplift under a long-term plan consisting of concerted efforts of all stakeholders and due diligence of a national level autonomous regulatory body. Considering its magnitude and nature, such a plan might appear to be just a fallacy. But there can’t be shortcuts to such an important subject as the engineering education.

    [The author is Chief Executive of KPA Consulting, Karachi – khalid@kpa.com.pk]

Provinces’ share cut from DP

on 20/05/2017

Islamabad would slash revenue shares of provincial governments under National Finance Commission (NFC) Award as the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has failed to achieve its tax collection target. The FBR is struggling to achieve its tax collection target of Rs3631 billion during 2016-17. It has collected Rs2520 billion during ten months (July-April) of the current fiscal year. Now an unofficial revised target is set Rs3500 billion for the year 2016-17. Federal government has communicated the provinces to adjust their budgets according to the new tax collection target. An amount of Rs2.135 trillion was to be transferred to the provinces in 2016-17. Punjab was to get Rs1045.01 billion Sindh Rs547.84 billion, KP Rs346.18 billion and Balochistan Rs196.84 billion. With the new target, the provinces are likely to get Rs70 billion less their receipts. Under the 7th NFC Award, the federal government has to transfer 57.5 percent resources to the provinces from federal divisible pool. Under the current award, Punjab gets 51.74pc share, Sindh 24.55pc, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 14.62 percent and Balochistan 9.09pc under the divisible pool.