AHMAD Zia Mian, the Pakistani-born director general of the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) since February 2009, is to demit office in a month's time.

A release from the OUR yesterday said that Mian, a trained economist and financial analyst with approximately 50 years experience with private, public, international, and multilateral organisations, will demit office on February 8 when his current term as director ends.

Mian served four years as director general, including a full term between 2009 and 2012, and an additional one-year term which began in February 2012.

Observers suggest that it was obvious that he was on his way out after the one year extension last year as OUR directors normally serve at least three-year appointments.

It is likely that he will retire to his home in Florida and continue his consultancy.

Prior to joining the OUR, Mian served as a consultant to the Government in the Office of the Prime Minister/Cabinet Office and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Mining and Energy. Between 1978 and 1980, he was chief technical advisor and project manager for the United Nations Development Programme's energy project in Jamaica, and assisted in establishing petroleum supplies arrangements with Nigeria and the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica. Subsequently, he worked with the World Bank for almost 20 years (1980-1999).

His appointment as the OUR's director general continued a journey which began between 1990 and 1994 when, on loan to the Government by the World Bank, he was the energy policy/technical advisor on issues of deregulation, liberalisation and the development of regulatory framework for utilities and assisted with the establishment of the OUR. In addition, he assisted with the development of the first IBRD/IDB/EIB financed takeout option for private sector-financed power generation project, drafted the energy sector policy/strategy and developed the enabling environment for successful private sector participation in the industry.