ISLAMABAD, 23 March 2004 - National Power Construction Corporation (NPCC) has become the Pakistan construction industry's flag-bearer in the overseas market and drawn international recognition for its excellent performance.
Established in 1974 under the Companies Act with a paid-up capital of 10 million Pakistani rupees, which was later doubled through subscription entirely from the company's general reserve, a five-member board of directors nominated by the government of Pakistan manages its corporate affairs. The board includes the chairman and the managing director who is also the chief executive. The secretary, Ministry of Water and Power, is the chairman of the board whose members are drawn from federal ministries of water and power, finance, and Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).
The NPCC charter includes execution of power projects on turnkey basis, that is, extra high voltage transmission lines, distribution networks, substations power generation plants, industrial electrification and external lighting of housing complexes. The projects and business are secured through competitive tendering or negotiation.
From 1974-81, NPCC completed many projects for WAPDA, KESC and Ministry of Defense involving electrification of scarp tube wells, 132kV transmission lines, 132kV substations and electrification of residential/industrial complexes.
NPCC entered the overseas market in 1977 with the award of Alkharj electrification project in Saudi Arabia, following a protocol agreement between the governments of the two countries. This was one of the first four mega-power projects then undertaken in the Kingdom. The other three were assigned to contractors nominated by the governments of South Korea, Taiwan and India.
Upon completion in 1981 with high quality of workmanship, the Kingdom publicly acknowledged NPCC's performance as superior to its competitors from India, Taiwan and Korea. Since then, NPCC has not looked back and was able to secure more projects through international competitive bidding. It is currently rated as one of the topmost contracting outfits in the Gulf. Projects include two of the largest rural electrification networks ever undertaken in the Kingdom, the prestigious 380kV transmission line between Madinah and Rabigh, aside from 132kV transmission lines, 132kV underground cable networks, 132kV/33kV substations - all in the Kingdom and on turkey basis. NPCC was among the select task forces which participated in the rehabilitation and repair of high voltage power network in and around Kuwait in very hazardous ground conditions at the end of Kuwait-Iraq conflict. The total value of the projects completed is in excess of $400 million.
For performance on overseas projects, NPCC can easily be singled out among public and private sector contracting outfits in Pakistan.
It has all along been a profitable organization making handsome contribution to the national economy through regular payment of dividend and taxes aside from providing overseas employment opportunity to a large number of Pakistani engineers and workers.
Until 1993, NPCC was continuously employing a workforce of about 500 workers per year, which came down to 100 during 1994-97, in the overseas market comprising managers, engineers, technicians, and semiskilled and skilled workers and thus injecting handsome direct and indirect revenue to Pakistan. NPCC staff on overseas projects remitted in excess of 300 million rupees in foreign exchange.
NPCC has a proven track record of winning through fierce competition and completing contracts valuing $150 million at one time. It has the capacity to achieve an annual turnover of at least $50 million without calling for any financial assistance from the Pakistani government.