ISLAMABAD :On Thursday, the Communications, Water, and Energy Development Projects were approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for the economic and social prosperity of the nation. According to a news release released here, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister of Finance and Revenue, presided over the ECNEC meeting. Syed Naveed Qamar, the federal minister for commerce, Tariq Bajwa, the SAPM on finance, Tariq Mehmood Pasha, federal secretaries, and other top officials from federal and provincial administrations attended the meeting.
The ECNEC considered and approved revised project of Ministry of Communication titled “Dualization of Rawalpindi –Kahuta road (28.4 kms) including 4-lane bridge over Sihala Railway pass, Sihala bypass and Kahuta bypass” at a revised rationalized cost of Rs. 23,545.021 million on financing share of 50:50 basis by the federal and provincial governments and the project will be executed by National Highway Authority (NHA).
The ECNEC considered a revised project of Ministry of Defence Production titled “Infrastructure Up-gradation of Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW).”
The project envisages renewed underwater repair capability and concrete rehabilitation/up-gradation works for the restoration of existing two dry Docks for ships/ submarines.
The ECNEC approved the project at a revised updated cost of Rs.10,689.807 million including FEC of Rs.4,934.564 million.
The ECNEC also considered and approved a project titled “Construction of Abdul Khel – Dhakhi- Kallurkot (45 kms) road” at a cost of Rs. 14,257.294 million without FEC. The project will be executed by NHA in Dera Ismail Khan district of KPK at 50:50 cost sharing between the Federal government and KPK government.
The ECNEC further considered a revised project of Ministry of Water Resources titled “Garuk Storage Dam, district Kharan” to be executed by Irrigation Department, Balochistan government in Kharan district. The project aimed at mitigating and storing flood waters of Garuk River and providing water for irrigation.
The ECNEC approved the revised project at a cost of Rs. 27,753.763 million without FEC.
The ECNEC also considered and approved another project of Ministry of Water Resources titled “Remodeling of Pat Feeder Canal System in Baluchistan, district Naseerabad ”at a cost of Rs. 61,793.367 million without FEC. The project will be financed through Federal and Provincial governments on 80:20 cost-sharing basis.
The ECNEC considered and approved a project of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) titled “Chasma Nuclear Power Project Unit-5 (C-5)” at a rationalized cost of Rs.1,047,988.84 million with FEC of Rs.187,098.96 million and Chinese credit of Rs.820,742.99 million to install a nuclear power plant of 1200 MW capacity in Mianwali.
The ECNEC also considered and approved in principle a project of Sindh government on Construction/Re-construction of existing schools in Sindh affected under Rain/Flood-2022 in Sindh at a cost of Rs.12,338.294 million, with 50:50 cost sharing basis between federal and provincial governments.
The ECNEC okayed a project of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) submitted by Planning Commission titled “Investment Project Financing (IPF) Component of Pakistan Raises Revenue Project” at a cost of Rs. 21,518.677 million ( i-e US$ 80 million World Bank loan) to enhance tax to GDP ratio.
Under the project, mobile facilitation centers will be established in a phased manner.
