‘Govt needs 2 years to resolve energy crisis’

The government may require eighteen months to two years to resolve the ongoing energy crisis and equip the power and fuel sector to support a productive economy, State Minister for Planning Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki stated on Wednesday.

Addressing reporters following an ECNEC meeting, the state minister highlighted the energy sector as a critical priority, emphasizing that national progress remains stalled without addressing its core vulnerabilities.

To build short-term resilience, the government is working to double emergency oil reserves from the current 1.5-month capacity to three months, with long-term plans to establish an additional storage facility aimed at securing a six-month reserve buffer. Efforts are also underway to source immediate fuel requirements through international imports.

However, Saki cautioned that importing fuel alone offers no immediate fix due to structural bottlenecks. Establishing necessary LNG receiving and regasification facilities requires significant lead time.

Requesting patience from the public during this transition, he noted that the sector inherited an import-dependent structure plagued by widespread operational inefficiencies.

The state minister pointed out that recent gas and electricity disruptions were aggravated by technical faults in several power plant boilers, which have since been repaired, bringing the situation to a relatively tolerable level compared to last month.

Nevertheless, overall fuel and power supplies remain insufficient to meet total domestic demand.

To achieve sustainable stability, the government is pushing to ramp up domestic gas exploration alongside a major pivot toward renewable energy.

Outlining the government’s economic strategy under its “From Fragility to Prosperity” roadmap, Saki explained that the damaged economy must navigate a structured sequence.

The initial two years will focus on economic recovery, followed by a three-year transition period designed to rebuild and accelerate national growth within a five-year horizon.