National body finds 70 projects problematic during 2020-21

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s constituted National Coordination Committee on Foreign Funded Projects (NCC-FFP) has scrutinized a total of 171 projects with involvement of foreign funding of almost $30 billion and found 70 projects as problematic with a cost of $13.28 billion during the last fiscal year 2020-21.

According to the Year Book 2020-21 released on Monday, the NCC-FFP scrutinized 171 projects and with 236 follow-ups, so the total reviews of the number of projects had gone up to 436 projects.

The official report states that the prime minister of Pakistan constituted a National Coordination Committee on Foreign Funded Projects (NCC-FFP) under the chair of Minister for Economic Affairs on 19th October 2020 to fast-track disbursement of external economic assistance, undertake portfolio review of problematic projects, track implementation delays and recommend measures to address impediments.

Since its constitution, the Secretariat of NCC-FFP in PA&D Wing of Ministry of Economic Affairs conducted 21 sessions till 30th June, 2021 and reviewed federal and provincial levels (Sindh, Punjab, KP & Balochistan) foreign-funded projects having worth of $29.9 billion under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Economic Affairs.

These meetings were attended by federal & provincial ministers, deputy chairman, Planning Commission, federal and provincial secretaries, additional chief secretaries/chairman Provincial Planning & Development Departments, senior members of Board of Revenue and other senior officers of the relevant Ministries/Divisions and Executing Agencies.

In addition, the committee has also followed-up energy, water, transport & communication and finance & revenue sectors, federal social sector, Govt of Punjab, KP, Balochistan & Sindh portfolio. While reviewing the foreign-funded portfolio, the committee focused on problematic projects of energy, water resource development, transport & communication, finance & revenue, social sectors and provincial governments portfolio.