MPs committee rejects setting up CPEC Authority

ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has unanimously rejected establishment of CPEC Authority, giving a big jolt to the government plan to bring the whole CPEC related work under one umbrella.

The Parliamentary Panel on CPEC met under chairmanship of PTI MNA Sher Ali Arbab here at the Parliament House on Thursday. The members expressed their concerns that the CPEC Authority having chairman with power of Principle Accounting Officer would have direct conflict with Secretary Planning.

The CPEC Authority with five to six members would have strength just like Planning Commission so there is no need of duplication of institutions and ministries. It was also told by the Planning Commission that the CPEC Authority would identify projects to bring them under the umbrella of CPEC but it was pointed out that it was domain of the ministry concerned to identify and then brought it at joint working group with Chinese side.

“The Planning Commission high-ups could not convince the parliamentarians why this CPEC Authority is necessary to run the CPEC related projects,” said one member of the committee on Thursday night. He said that the Planning Commission argued that the CPEC would now move towards business-to-business contacts with Chinese side so they were asked to strengthen the ministries concerned.

After long debate, the chairman of parliamentary panel put up the issue for voting before the committee members and they unanimously rejected establishment of CPEC Authority.