Ecnec approves Rs362bln hydropower, infrastructure projects

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Wednesday approved approximately Rs362 billion worth of hydropower, infrastructure development and health projects.

Minister for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin directed the Planning Commission to prioritise projects that are strategic in nature or can be completed in a shorter period of time to save the exchequer from cost over runs and unnecessary delays in the completion of projects.

Ecnec approved the Gomal Zam multipurpose project at the revised cost of Rs25.9 billion. The forum also granted the ex-post facto approval of the expenditures and financial closure of the project by relaxing the direction/ decision of the earlier meeting of the Ecnec in 2013. The project is located on the Gomal river in South Waziristan. The main objective of the project is to harness flood water and provide assured irrigation water supply of 848 cusecs to irrigate 191,139 acres of land including 28,053 acres additional land which falls under the Waran canal system and to generate 17.4 megawatts of electricity.

Another 30MW hydro power project Ghowari was approved at the revised cost of Rs16.4 billion. The project is located on the left bank of Shayok river near Ghowari village in district Ghnache in Gilgit Baltistan. The project is expected to be completed in four years. The 20MW hydro power project Hazel, Gilgit was also approved at the revised cost of Rs12.9 billion. The 110-kilometre Rainee canal project was approved at the total cost of Rs20.5 billion. The project will irrigate 412,400 acres in phase-I at a design discharge of 5,500 cusecs in districts of Kashmore, Ghotki, Sukkur and Khairpur.

The construction of 168-km Hoshab–Awaran–Khuzdar section of M-8 project was approved at the rationalised cost of Rs32.2 billion. The scope of work includes construction of bridges, box culverts, retaining walls/ toe walls, shoulders, along with drainage and allied works. The project is expected to complete in 42 months.

Ecnec also approved Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial roads rehabilitation project at the revised cost of Rs28.2 billion. The project envisages rehabilitation of 274-km of existing provincial highway network in the province as compared to original scope of 214-km. The project is expected to complete by 2023. The feasibility and dualization of Mardan-Swabi road was approved at the revised cost of Rs13 billion. Khyber Pakhtunkwa’s communication and works department through Pakhtunkwa Highways Authority will be the executing agency of the project. The project is expected to complete by 2022-2023. Ecnec further approved construction of 306-km Hyderabad-Sukkar fenced motorway on built operate transfer basis at the revised cost of Rs191.5 billion. The project is to be implemented with provision of capital and operational viability gap fund to improve the financial viability of the project. The project is expected to be completed in 30 months.

The COVID-19 response and other natural calamities control program (Sindh component) was approved at the total cost of Rs20.8 billion without any foreign exchange component.

Ecnec also considered the summary for procurement of 600 flat container bogie wagons and forwarded the proposal to Public Private Partnership (PPP) Board to develop a transaction structure on PPP basis.