Kathmandu: Lawmakers have urged for greater private sector involvement in the development of Nepal's electricity sector during discussions on the proposed Power Bill 2080 BS. The discussions, organized by the Infrastructure Development Committee, focused on incorporating amendments to the Bill to encourage private investment and ensure competitiveness.

Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa emphasized the need to provide the private sector with more opportunities in electricity projects. He raised concerns over a provision in the Bill that exempts projects with 51% or more government investment from competition. Thapa also suggested reducing the capacity threshold for local governments to develop power projects from five megawatts to three megawatts.

Former Finance Minister Janardan Sharma highlighted the importance of licensing power producers based on their competence and ensuring fair competition in government-identified projects. He also called for resolving issues related to national parks obstructing hydropower operations.

Similarly, lawmaker Bina Lama stressed the importance of safeguarding the energy sector and developing a comprehensive plan for settlement development. She underscored that government investment should be excluded from projects already funded by the private sector to prevent corruption.

Other lawmakers, including Laxmi Tiwari and Kalpana Chaudhary, urged that the suggestions raised during the discussions be incorporated into the final version of the Bill.

The proposed amendments aim to foster a collaborative approach between the government and private sector, ensuring the sustainable growth of Nepal’s energy sector while maintaining transparency and accountability.