Nepra Fines CPPA-G Rs10m For Failing To Impose Wapda Outage Penalties

نیپرا نے واپڈا پلانٹس کی بندش پر جرمانہ عائد نہ کرنے پر سی پی پی اے جماعت اسلامی پر ایک کروڑ روپے جرمانہ کر دیا

Nepra Fines CPPA-G Rs10m For Failing To Impose Wapda Outage Penalties

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has fined the Central Power Purchasing Agency-Guarantee Limited (CPPA-G) Rs10 million for repeatedly failing to impose liquidated damages (LDs) on Wapda for excessive outages at its hydropower plants, despite contractual obligations and repeated regulatory directions. Nepra said CPPA-G had failed over several years to enforce LDs required under the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), with about Rs77 billion in LDs for 10 major Wapda plants remaining un-imposed. The regulator rejected CPPA-G's arguments that poor payments by distribution companies, potential late-payment interest (LPI), circular debt and incomplete outage data justified the delay. CPPA-G had argued that imposing the LDs could trigger Wapda's LPI claims of about Rs175 billion, substantially exceeding the LD amount, potentially adding to circular debt and consumer costs. Nepra said imposing LDs was a mandatory contractual duty, not a discretionary measure, and noted that CPPA-G had already deducted Rs4.658 billion from Wapda's capacity payments for secured outages, demonstrating its ability to enforce contractual provisions. CPPA-G must pay the Rs10 million fine within 15 days, failing which Nepra will recover it as arrears of land revenue. Nepra Chairman Waseem Mukhtar dissented, arguing that the potential Rs175 billion late payment interest (LPI) exposure substantially exceeded the Rs77 billion LD claims and could worsen the circular debt.

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