Senate Panel Criticizes Solar Project Ads Making Sindh Look Like Switzerland

The Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Division has criticized the Sindh Solar Energy Project for financial irregularities, NGO interference, and questionable beneficiary data. The committee chairman criticized the use of donor guidelines (World Bank regulations) while ignoring local procurement laws (PEPRA). He also raised concerns over exaggerated media promotions portraying the project as a big success. The advertisements make it look like Sindh has turned into Switzerland, he said sarcastically. During the briefing, officials from the Sindh Solar Energy Project said the solar systems were intended for domestic users consuming less than 100 units of electricity. However, it was revealed that households consuming between 0 and 20 units were being excluded from the scheme because they couldn’t afford the Rs. 6,000 payment. Senators expressed outrage over this exclusion and the unexplained role of NGOs. Committee members questioned why an NGO was hired directly without tendering and why Rs. 6,000 was collected from already subsidized households receiving support under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), only to be handed over to an NGO. One senator argued that it would have been better to subsidize the full cost rather than burden the poorest users. Another senator said it appeared the scheme was not delivering its intended benefits. The committee also questioned the integrity of the bidding process, where 18 companies participated but only three were awarded contracts, including one Chinese supplier. The government aimed to procure 200,000 solar systems, but officials confirmed that only 23,000 had been distributed so far. Chairman committee demanded a full cost breakdown of the Rs. 31,083 per solar unit being quoted, pointing out that the actual base cost was around Rs. 21,000, with companies adding Rs. 8,000 without adequate explanation. The committee voiced alarm over inflated and potentially fraudulent beneficiary lists under BISP, where up to 22 names were registered from a single household. The chairman instructed the Economic Affairs Division to write to the Chief Secretary of Sindh to tell him that the beneficiary lists were flawed. The chairman called for solar systems to be delivered only to truly deserving individuals.