KATHMANDU, Sept 16
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) under the World Bank has pointed at around a dozen risks for hydropower development in Nepal including economic, technical and legal.
IFC, that has also been investing in hydropower and other infrastructure projects in Nepal, has also recommended the government to remove these risks before increasing private sector investment. Climate and fuel, lack of market and transmission lines, delay in construction of projects, price hike of construction equipment, negligence in adjustment of tariff, and political and legal risks have been pointed by IFC. It has stated that the government should take responsibility for the climate and fuel risks and suggested for provision of take or pay while signing the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to minimize the market risk.
It has also recommended for transmission lines agreement for construction of the transmission lines, provision of punishment if the projects are delayed, and compensation by the state if the contracts are terminated due to political risk and other government weaknesses. IFC has also asked to address the problems that can arise after change of laws, and to stress on security by insuring against the risk of natural calamities. It has also identified change of laws, nationalization of projects, change in exchange rate and payment, and rise in cost and time required for completion of projects as risks.
Advocates and promoters have been advising the government to amend over one and half dozens acts related to hydropower investment at a time when IFC has pointed at a dozen risks. They have recommended for amendment of acts in practice for compatibility. They have urged for a one-door policy on hydropower sector with coordination among the acts as the promoters have to make rounds of over 10 different bodies and adhere to over a dozen acts for a single project due to these acts. They have drawn the attention of the government for review of Electricity Act, Environment Conservation Act/Regulations, Industrial Enterprise Act, Investment Board (IB) Act/Regulations, Forests Act/Regulations, National Parks Regulations, Foreign Exchange Act/Regulations, Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act, Water Resources Act/Regulations, Land Acquisition Act/Regulations, Local Self-governance Act/Regulations, Company Act, Contract Act and Labor Act/Regulations.
Legal experts have also demanded clarity on issues like sharing of risks involved in doing PPA in the US dollars, and taking back the dividends after investing in dollars. The government has already formed a task force under the Joint Secretary of Law at the Energy Ministry Udaya Raj Sapkota to identify the contradictory acts and recommend for their amendment.
Source : Karobar Daily
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जलविद्युत्मा दर्जन जोखिम
काठमाडौं, ३१ भदौ- विश्व बैंकअन्तर्गतको अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय वित्त निगम (आईएफसी)ले नेपालको जलविद्युत् विकासमा आर्थिक, प्राविधिक र कानुनी गरी १ दर्जन जोखिम औंल्याएको छ । नेपालमा जलविद्युत्लगायत अन्य पूर्वाधार आयोजनामा समेत लगानी गरिरहेको आईएफसीले निजी क्षेत्रको लगानी बढाउनुअघि यी जोखिम हटाउन सरकारलाई सुझावसमेत दिएको छ ।
जलवायु र इन्धन, बजार अभाव, प्रसारणलाइन र आयोजना निर्माणमा ढिलाइ, निर्माण उपकरणको मूल्यवृद्धि र महसुल समायोजनमा बेवास्तासँगै राजनीतिक र कानुनी जोखिम रहेको आईएफसीले औंल्याएको छ ।
जलवायु र इन्धन जोखिमको जवाफदेहिता राज्यले लिनुपर्ने उसले बताएको छ । बजारको जोखिम न्यून गर्न विद्युत् खरिद सम्झौता (पीपीए)मै ‘लेऊ वा देऊ (टेक अर पे)’ को व्यवस्था गर्नुपर्ने उसका सुझाव छन् । प्रसारण जोखिम न्यूनीकरण गर्न प्रसारणलाइन सम्झौता, निर्धारित समयमा आयोजना सम्पन्न नभए दण्ड, राजनीतिक जोखिम र सरकारका अन्य कमजोरीले ठेक्का तोडिए राज्यले नै क्षतिपूर्तिको व्यवस्था गर्नुपर्ने सुझाव पनि उसले दिएको छ ।
कानुन परिवर्तनपछि आउने समस्याको सम्बोधन र प्राकृतिक विपत्ति जोखिमका लागि बिमा गरेर सुरक्षणमा जोड दिन आईएफसीले भनेको छ । कानुन परिवर्तन र आयोजना राष्ट्रियकरण, भुक्तानी र मुद्रा परिवर्तनीय, लागत र समय दुबै बढ्ने जोखिम पनि रहेको उसको ठहर छ ।
आईएफसीले १ दर्जन जोखिम औंल्याएका बेला कानुन व्यवसायी र प्रवद्र्धकले जलविद्युत् लगानीसम्बन्धी डेढ दर्जनभन्दा बढी ऐन परिमार्जन गर्न सरकारलाई सुझाइसकेका छन् । कार्यान्वयनमा रहेका ऐन परिमार्जन गरी सामाञ्जस्यता ल्याउन उनीहरूले सुझाव दिएका हुन् । यिनै ऐन–कानुनका कारण प्रवद्र्धकले १० भन्दा बढी सरकारी निकाय धाउनुपरेको र १ दर्जनभन्दा बढी ऐन पालना गर्नुपर्ने गुनासो गर्दै उनीहरूले जलविद्युत् विकासमा एकद्वार नीति कार्यान्वय गर्न आग्रह गरेका छन् ।
विद्युत् ऐन, वातावरण संरक्षण ऐन÷नियमावली, औद्योगिक व्यवसाय ऐन, लगानी बोर्ड ऐन÷नियमावली, वन ऐन÷नियमावली, राष्ट्रिय निकुञ्जसम्बन्धी नियमावली, विदेशी विनियमय ऐन÷नियमावली, वैदेशिक लगानी तथा प्रविधि हस्तान्तरण ऐन, जलस्रोत ऐन÷नियमावली, जग्गा प्राप्ति ऐन÷नियमावली, स्थानीय सुशासन ऐन÷नियमावली, कम्पनी ऐन, कन्ट्र्याक्ट ऐन र श्रम ऐन÷नियमावलीमा परिमार्जन गर्न उनीहरूले सरकारको ध्यानाकर्षण गराएका छन् ।
डलरमा पीपीए गर्दा हुने जोखिम बाँडफाँड, लाभांशलगायत विषयमा स्पष्ट ऐन आवश्यक भएको कानुनविद्ले औंल्याएका छन् । बाझिएका ऐन पहिचान गरी संशोधनका लागि सिफारिस गर्न सरकारले ऊर्जा मन्त्रालयका कानुन सहसचिव उदयराज सापकोटाको संयोजकत्वमा कार्यदल गठन गरिसकेको छ ।
