The commission has stated that upon obtaining membership in SAPFIR, information on various regulatory practices necessary for reforming the electricity sector will be available.
We use Google Cloud Translation Services. Google requires we provide the following disclaimer relating to use of this service:
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, expressed or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement.
The Electricity Regulatory Commission has obtained the South Asian Infrastructure Regulatory Forum (SAFIR) membership. The Council of Ministers meeting held on November 8 had decided to grant approval to the Commission to obtain the forum's membership.
Once the Commission becomes a member of SAFIR, it will receive information on various regulatory practices required for the reform of the electricity sector. The Commission has stated that it will be easier to exchange experience and knowledge among regulatory organizations and bodies of different countries and to encourage energy-related research. The Commission has stated that capacity building, exchange of best practices and knowledge and flow of technical expertise among regulatory organizations will enhance the human resource capacity of the respective countries.
Commission Chairman Ram Prasad Dhital thanked the Government of Nepal, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, etc. for their support and cooperation during the process of granting SAFIR membership.
As per Sub-rule 2 of Rule 20 of the Electricity Regulatory Commission Regulations, 2075, the Chairman may contact domestic or foreign regulatory organizations and bodies on behalf of the Commission and enter into any agreement with the approval of the Commission. The commission has been actively involved in the process of obtaining membership in the forum for the past few years, . Dhital said that Safir's membership will be a significant achievement for the commission in terms of sharing experience with regional and international regulatory bodies, adopting best practices, and developing regulatory skills and capacity. The commission, formed under the Electricity Regulatory Commission Act, 2074, is an autonomous and independent regulatory body to regulate Nepal's electricity sector. According to the act, the commission has been given the responsibility of maintaining the demand and balance of electricity by making electricity generation, transmission, distribution or trade simple, regular, systematic and transparent, regulating electricity tariffs, protecting the rights and interests of electricity consumers, making the electricity market competitive, and making electricity services reliable, accessible, quality and safe.
As issues related to electricity regulation are relatively new and emerging for Nepal's electricity sector, the Commission has stated that it will coordinate and collaborate with regional and international regulatory organizations and bodies to enhance the necessary technical and institutional efficiency in the Commission's operations and regulatory responsibilities.
