ISLAMABAD (September 24 2010): The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec), scheduled to meet on September 28 with Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh in the chair, is expected to approve 27 projects worth billions of rupees including Rekodiq gold/copper project which will attract over $6 billion investment, Business Recorder has learnt.
The government and Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) – a joint venture between Canada’s Barrick Gold and Chile’s Antofagasta are re-negotiating a deal, which had been halted by the Balochistan government earlier. TCC has submitted feasibility report to Balochistan government for review.
The Planning Commission has also tabled “Mangla Dam Raising Project (Revised PC-I) costing over Rs 102 billion” before Ecnec for approval. According to Ecnec agenda available with Business Recorder, the council will consider Gwadar Deep Water Port Project – phase-I (2nd Revised) costing Rs 16.6 billion.
Pakistan and China are jointly working on phase-1 of this project and its second phase will be carried out under a public private partnership. Ecnec may also approve Rekodiq gold/copper project in Balochistan at a cost of Rs 6698.700 million. Agriculture and food sector projects include Agriculture and Food Punjab Economic Opportunities Programme (PEOP) and Pak China National Project for CA and Advanced Ventilated Cold Storage costing Rs 2229.200 million.
Energy sector projects include: National Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) Project; Rehabilitation of Jabban Hydroelectric Power Station (Revised), District Malakand; Power Distribution Enhancement Programme, Phase-II [(i) Iesco (ii) Gepco (iii) Fesco (iv) Mepco (v) Pesco (vi) Hesco (vii) Lesco (viii) Qesco; Addition of 500 and 220 kV substations and transmission lines for strengthening of existing NTDC system worth Rs 24317 million.
Health sector includes one project “Prime Minister’s Programme for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis (Prime Minister’s Emergency Action Plan of Hepatitis). The Health Ministry has modified ‘Prime Minister Programme for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis (Prime Minister’s Emergency Action on Hepatitis)’ worth Rs 13.9 billion to attract support of donor agencies.
In Higher Education, apex body may approve projects, which include Establishment of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Benazirabad Sindh costing Rs 1666.781 million and Fulbright Scholarships Support Programme (Revised). Planning Commission was scheduled to table “Establishment of Nust Teaching Hospital and School of Health Sciences at Sector H-12, Islamabad” before Ecnec for approval but this has been dropped from agenda now.
Transport and Communication sector projects are: Construction of flyover at Sariab Phatak, Quetta; Rehabilitation/ Upgradation and Dualisation of Multan-Shujaabad-Jalalpur Pirwala-Uch Sharif – Trinda Muhammad Pannah Road (142 km); Rehabilitation of Larkana – Rasheed Wagan – Nasirabad Road (34 km); Extension of Motorway (M-4) from Khanewal to Multan 57 km (Revised); Construction of Bridge across River Ravi near Sandhilian Wall; Construction of Northern Bypass from Bosan Road to Qasim Bela Multan including approach Road from Northern Bypass to Multan Airport via Jameelabad Chowk Multan (Length 16.05 km Phase-II); Construction of Northern Bypass from Qasim Bela to Shershah Road Multan Bypass including Grade Separated Elevated Bridge over Railway Line & N-70 (Length 12.229 km-Phase-III); Reconstruction of Berth 15-17-A including SRB-1 and SRB-2 on East Wharves at Karachi Port. Physical planning and housing projects for approval are Urban Water Supply Scheme Benazirabad (Nawabshah) Phase-V Filtration (Revised) and Improvement of Water Supply System in Faisalabad (Revised). In population and Social Planning Ecnec will consider Population Welfare Programmes [Islamabad Federal Activity, Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa, Balochistan and AJK (2009-14)].
Water sector projects include: Construction of 100 Delay Action Dams in Balochistan: Package-II (26 Dams); Punjab Barrages Improvement Phase-II (PBIP-II) (Rehabilitation and Modernisation of Jinnah Barrage, Improvement and Modernisation of the Irrigation and Water Management System – Monitoring and Evaluation of the project Impacts and Technical Assistance and Trainings); and Six (6) Dispersal Structures on Nari River, Construction of Ghazi Tuk, Khokhar, Erri, Haji Shaher and Remodelling/Rehabilitation of Mithri Weir and Canal System – Brecorder
