The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved 13 development projects worth Rs335.61 billion on Monday, including revision of the cost of Dasu hydropower project.
The approval was given during an Ecnec meeting chaired by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Hafeez Sheikh.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Khusro Bakhtyar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Finance Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra, Chairperson Planning and Development Board Sindh Naheed S. Durrani and Adviser to PM on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Dr Ishrat Hussain and other senior officials of Federal and provincial governments also attended the meeting.
The meeting approved the foreign exchange component (FEC) of Rs189.793bn which constitutes 56.55 per cent of the total amount.
Ecnec revised cost of Rs90.831bn for Dasu hydropower project
The Ecnec approved “Dasu hydropower project (stage 1) revision of cost for land acquisition and built up of property”, subject to the opinion of the Ministry of Law on the revision of cost of land and built up property. The Law Division is directed to give its opinion in a week’s time to save the project from further delay.
In addition to that, it deferred the approval of World Bank-funded 500 kV HVDC Transmission System between Tajikistan and Pakistan for Central Asia-South Asia (CASA) transmission interconnection. The proposed cost of this project was Rs46.8 billion. The ECNEC also approved modification in the design of two LNG-fired power projects, which have already started commercial operations.
The meeting approved an updated cost of Rs85.912bn with a FEC of Rs35.049bn for the engineering procurement and construction of Balakot Hydropower project in Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
While reviewing the 500 kV HVDC Transmission System between Tajikistan and Pakistan for Central Asia- South Asia transmission interconnection (CASA1000).
Extension of Intensive Care Department of Mother-Child Health Centre and Children’s Hospital at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) at an updated cost of Rs4.270bn with FEC of Rs3.874bn was also approved.The meeting approved KP Integrated Tourism Development Project at the cost of
Rs17bn.
The Ecnec approved the establishment of Pakistan Space Centre at Chakkri, Rawalpindi District at an updated cost of Rs29.506bn including FEC of Rs22.095bn. The Dualisation of Kuchlak-Zhob section of N-50 (305 km) was also approved at a rationalised cost of Rs63.601bn without FEC.
The Competitive and Livable City of Karachi Project (CLICK) with the sponsorship of government of Sindh and World Bank/IPF-IBRD was also approved at a total cost of Rs33.6bn.
