ISLAMABAD: As the government struggles to translate memorandums of understanding (MOUs) sigend with the Independent Power Peoducers (IPPs) of thermal and renewable power plants for tariff discounts into contracts, sponsors of hydropower power plants (HPPs) have declined to revise old agreements with the government. A senior government official told Dawn that sponsors of HPPs had three to four sessions with the IPPs negotiations committee led by former federal secretary Babar Yaqoob and comprising members of stakeholders and agencies appointed by the government to negotiate power contracts. However, nothing had been finalised yet, he said. Sources close to HPPs confirmed “they refused to sign MOUs prepared by the negotiation committee” because the government was applying a “broad brush to all IPPs irrespective of technology” (furnace oil, gas, coal, solar and wind etc) and seeking reduction of equity return, operation and maintenance expenses and others even though all...