Kathmandu. KATHMANDU: The Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) has become a member of the South Asia Forum for Infrastructure Regulation (SAFIR).

The government has given permission to the commission to get membership. A meeting of the Council of Ministers held on November 24 gave approval for the membership of the organization. The Commission has been actively involved in the process of obtaining membership of the Forum for the past few years. According to the Commission, the membership of SAFIR would be an important achievement for the Commission in terms of experience sharing with regional and international regulatory bodies, adoption of best practices and building regulatory skills and capacity.

With the commission’s membership, it will get information on various regulatory practices required for the improvement of the electricity sector. It will also facilitate the exchange of experience and knowledge among regulatory agencies and bodies of different countries and encourage research and research related to energy. It is believed that capacity building among regulatory agencies, exchange of best practices and knowledge, and dissemination of technical skills will enhance the human resource capacity of the appropriate nation.

Finally, the Commission would like to express its sincere gratitude to the Government of Nepal, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, the Commission’s office-bearers, employees and all the stakeholders for their support and cooperation during the process of granting membership of SAFIR.

Coordination and collaboration with regional and international regulatory bodies and bodies is essential to enhance technical and institutional capacity in the Commission’s operation and regulatory responsibilities.

According to Rule 20 (2) of the Electricity Regulatory Commission Regulations, 2075 BS, the chairperson can approach the regulatory organizations and bodies within the country or abroad on behalf of the Commission and if any agreement has to be made, the EC’s approval is the legal basis.