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| July 8, 2005 | Friday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 30, 1426 |
Rs27 billion plan for transport network
ISLAMABAD, July 7: The government has approved a Rs27.3 billion Asian Development Bank-assisted sub-regional connectivity and trade facilitation programme under the Medium-Term Development Framework (2005-10) to improve trade relations with Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asian states. Sources told Dawn on Thursday that the ADB had agreed to offer Rs1.8 billion for the project, which included rehabilitation of key national highways that were part of the sub-regional corridor, cross-border infrastructure development and institutional strengthening of the National Highway Authority and other relevant agencies.
The objective is to support regional cooperation by removing institutional and other barriers to improved transportation and increased trade and to finalize cross-border agreements for road transport, including movement of containers. It also aims at improving road sector efficiency on the main transport corridor in the country.
The ADB, the sources said, was negotiating its sub-regional cooperation initiatives with other countries to ensure effective implementation of policies to promote trade and economic relations in the region.
An ADB-funded feasibility study has been finalized for establishing a Trade Facilitation and Land Border Crossing Authority to supervise all significant crossings in the region.
The sources said that following a series of meetings with the bank’s officials, all the concerns were addressed in terms of improvement in highway connection with Afghanistan and Central Asian states.
However, the ADB told the government that a productive and efficient national highway system could contribute largely to the economy by lowering the transportation costs and increasing safety and international traffic once the Gwadar Port was completed, they said.
ADB consultants had given a preliminary report on the environmental conditions associated with the N-26, N-50 and N-70 highways and called for their improvement because of the nearby refineries and hazards associated with the trucking of oil products, they said.
They government was expected to place high priority on improving the efficiency of land border crossings to facilitate cross-border and transit traffic, they said. The bank is providing support for improved border facilities at Chaman and Torkham.
The World Bank and the UN Centre for Trade and Development have been involved for supporting the establishment of the National Trade and Transport Facilitation Committee. The committee and its sub-committees had been established and they provided an opportunity for ADB’s support for further initiatives, the sources said.
Officials concerned admitted that the complexity of crossing agreements, with the large number of stakeholders and departments involved, had previously limited the scope of successful intervention to extend trade facilitation among the countries of the region.
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