ISLAMABAD: The SAARC Governing Board (GB) has decided to explore other financing options to develop ‘SAARC Regional energy database in SAARC Energy Centre(SEC)” as Asian Development Bank(ADB) is silent on financing request.
Sharing update on 16th GB Report of SEC, a recent meeting of GB was apprised SAARC Energy Data Portal had been developed in FY 2019 to present the energy information of SAARC region in digitized format. Updating of Data Portal is an ongoing activity. Each year updated data is added for all energy parameters including energy trade flows, power plants and other energy infrastructure, policy documents etc. for all SAARC Member States.
The SAARC Energy Data Portal aims to provide updated energy statistics for formulating sound energy policies and designing strategic development and investment plans in energy in South Asia. The required data is obtained from the SAARC Member States and reputable international sources. ln this context, SEC has proposed updating of “SAARC Energy Data Portal”, under its thematic area of PETREN. Since, this project is a regular activity of SEC each year, it has been proposed that its cost may be included in every annual institutional budget of SEC.
The 16th GB recommended to drop the activity. However, recommended that SEC will approach the international Partners i.e., ADB, UN-ESCAP, & USAID, through the SAARC Secretariat for their technical and financial assistance for development of an effective “SAARC Energy Data Portal”. The GB also recommended the SEC to focus on building in-house professional capacity and revert back in next GB meeting.
SEC apprised the following to 17th GB that managing energy data portal, updating it from time to time, maintaining security, ensuring its scalability and feeding latest energy data requires a dedicated professional team involving substantial financial resources.
ln line with recommendation of GB, SEC utilizing its in-house professionals’ capacity explored to operate and update the existing data portal. However, this complex task, which requires dedicated professional team with relevant skills and experience, is beyond SECs ability with limited in-house capacity.
ln view of the challenges and recommendation of 16th GB, SEC has developed a project proposal titled” “development of SAARC Regional Energy Database in SAARC Energy Centre” and shared with SAARC Secretariat to take up with Asian Development Bank, seeking their technical assistance.
Director (ETS) informed that they have taken up with ADB, however response from them is still awaited. GB discussed about an alternative solution in case ADB do not offer technical assistance. As an alternate, Director (SEC) ) proposed the following project structure: (i) SEC can develop, maintain, and operate a Centralized Server and Database System in the Centre by a project team (headed by one Project Director and assisted by two professionals having at least 10 years demonstrated experience and capabilities in relevant areas) ;(ii) each member State to nominate a dedicated relevant professional with given needed IT tools/internet facility to feed and update energy sector data on quarterly basis ;(iii) the cost of centralized facility/ server at SEC and salary/emoluments of project team to be borne/ provided by Member states on annually basis ; and (iv) the cost of nominated relevant professional in each member State will be borne by the relevant Members state.
After detailed discussions, the GB recommended that SEC to explore other sources of financing in addition to ADB for project development and also redraft the ToRs to meet the SEC requirement.
The GB also decided to extend cooperation in the solar energy and facilitate member States to optimally exploit their solar potential, The GB discussed importance of engaging and signing of MoU with International Solar Alliance (ISA).
Ends
