ISLAMABAD, December 12 2023: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in its meeting, chaired by Caretaker Minister for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Dr Shamshad Akhtar, on Monday approved nine projects worth over Rs 371,849 billion.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Muhammad Sami Saeed, Minister for Communications, Railways and Maritime Affairs Shahid Ashraf Tarar, Federal Secretaries and other senior officers from Federal Ministries and Provincial departments participated in the meeting, a news release said.
The ECNEC considered and approved the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Security Support Project at a total cost of Rs 25,098.220 million to address the climate vulnerabilities, improve the food security and livelihood of rural farm households and address the mid-and long-term needs for institutional capacity enhancement in the most flood-damaged districts of the KP province.
The project is for a tenure of five years and will be implemented in seven districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Upper Dir, Swat, Malakand, Charsadda, Peshawar, Nowshera and Dera Ismail Khan
The council also okayed a project titled “Sindh School Rehabilitation Project under Flood Restoration Program (ADB Emergency Assisted) at a total cost of Rs 86,080.50 million with a Provincial Government share of Rs 7562.50 million and ADB Loan amounting to Rs 78518.00 million.
In Sindh, five districts namely Dadu, Khairpur Mirs, Larkana, Nausharu Feroze & Qambar Shahdadkot were severely affected by rain/flood. As many as 482 schools were fully damaged while 1,125 schools were partially damaged. Therefore 1,607 schools would be rehabilitated through this project.
The ECNEC gave the go-ahead signal to a project of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Education Component: Refugees & Host communities Regional Sub Windows SH Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Human Capital Investment Project (KP-HCIP) at a total cost of Rs 32,834.80 million. The project will cover educational infrastructure rehabilitation and reconstruction of 1,165 damaged schools in 13 districts of KP.
The council approved a project titled “Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme” implemented through the Higher Education Commission (HEC) at a total cost of Rs16,801.23 million.
The forum approved a project Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Human Capital Investment Project (KP-HCIP) (Health Component) at a total cost of Rs 24, 224.921 million. The project aims to improve the availability, utilization and quality of primary care health services through the provision of essential medicines, family planning commodities, hospital waste management and outsourcing of lab/ pharmaceutical / janitorial services for host communities and refugees.
The ECNEC okayed a project on Women Inclusive Finance at a total cost of Rs 31413.047 million aimed at reducing constraints on Pakistani women in accessing credit. This project provides a Credit Line Facility (CLF) so that more money is available for lending to women.
The council also gave nod to a project of the Ministry of Railways titled “Thar Coal Railway Connectivity” with existing Railway Network including Last Mile Connectivity with Port Qasim at the total rationalized cost of Rs 53,726.925 million with Local FEC of Rs 8,182.550 million, on 50:50 basis ratio between the Federal Government and Government of Sindh.
The ECNEC considered and approved a project of the Ministry of Communications titled the Peshawar Northern Bypass Project (PNBP) at a total cost of Rs 27,051.680 million without FEC. The project envisages the construction of a 32.20-kilometre 4-lane bypass with service roads on either side, on the northern side of Peshawar city. The bypass will be constructed along a new alignment passing through agricultural land with allied facilities. Land measuring approximately 3,430 kanal will be acquired for the requirement of the 55m Right of Way (ROW).
The council approved a Sindh Barrage Improvement Project (Phase-II) submitted by the Ministry of Water Resources. It will cost Rs 74, 618.340 million for the rehabilitation and modernization of Sukkur Barrage; and completing the remaining work for rehabilitation and Modernization of Guddu Barrage.
The ECNEC, however, deferred the Greater Thal Canal Project (Phase-II) of Rs 38, 372.224, with direction to the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives and Ministry of Water to develop an appropriate summary of the status of consultation among provinces and implementation of past decisions of ECNEC on the matter.
