Punjab seeks ECP ban ‘waiver’ for foreign-funded projects

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government has sought a waiver on restrictions from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for five foreign-funded new development projects worth millions of dollars, presently under approval and tendering stage.

The ECP had imposed a ban, through a notification, issued on January 22, 2023, inter alia, on transfer and postings and all kinds of recruitment and development schemes till the general election for the provincial legislature are held. The notification also barred tenders for new schemes.

According to the communication, a copy of which is available with The News, the projects include Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement Investment Project (PICIIP) (ADB funded) (US$250 million), Project Readiness Financing for Punjab Urban Development Project (PRF-PUDP) (ADB funded) (US$16.3m), Punjab Cities Programme (PCP) (World Bank funded) (US$236m), Punjab Rural Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Project (PRSWSSP) (World Bank funded) (US$553m) and Heritage Urban Regeneration presidency coincided with a decline in domestic savings and economic inequality rose at a rapid rate. Musharraf’s government has also been accused of human rights abuses and he survived a number of assassination in Lahore Fort WCLA (AFD funded) (Euro 22 million).

The implementing agencies of the foreign funded projects are under the process of tendering and approval of new development sub-schemes. Due to the ban imposed by the Election Commission, the Local Government and Community Development (LG&CD) Department had halted the process of approval/ execution of new development sub-schemes under projects, which were being executed with loan from various international donors.

The provincial government contended that if execution of new development schemes of foreign funded project was not completed in time, it would jeopardise the progress of project, and achievement of disbursement linked indicators (DLIs) would suffer. Moreover, the Punjab government would not be able to meet the commitments made with international donors, which would ultimately lead to financial burden on the provincial government in terms of commitment charges.

Therefore, the provincial government has sought an exemption for execution of new development schemes to the extent of foreign funded projects (FFPs). The provincial government is implementing Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement Investment Programme (PICIIP) in intermediate districts including Sahiwal, Sialkot, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Muzaffargarh with financial assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The PICIIP aims to improve efficiency and financial sustainability of intermediate cities and effectiveness of urban services through water supply, sanitation, sewerage system, sewage treatment, solid waste management, transport infrastructure and up-gradation of Punjab Local Government Academy, Lalamusa, and capacity development programme. Also, the provincial government has requested support from the Asian Development Bank to plan investments and design service delivery models for selected cities in Punjab province: Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Rawalpindi, and Sargodha.

The project readiness financing (PRF) will complement ADB’s assistance to the urban development in Pakistan, including a transaction technical assistance facility designed to support feasibility studies and explore innovations to improve the quality of urban services.

The PRF would finance the preparation of comprehensive spatial master plans for upstream project pipeline development, prepare detailed engineering designs (DEDs), support procurement readiness, and prepare operational business plans for priority investments of the ensuing projects.

The cities that come under Punjab cities programme are Okara, Jaranwala, Gojra, Jhang, Kamalia, Muridke, Hafizabad, Kamoke, Daska, Wazirabad, Jhelum, Vehari, Burewala, Khanewal, Bahawalnagar and Kot Addu and some selected municipal committees of Punjab except those falling under the WB funded PCGIP and ADB-funded PICIIP.