ISLAMABAD, Aug 4: The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Thursday approved 40 development projects to be carried out at an estimated cost of Rs95.1 billion. All the projects are part of the current year’s Rs272 billion Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). This means the implementation of these projects would start during the current year.
This was the first meeting of Ecnec in the current fiscal year and would pave the way for release of funds to projects. The meeting was presided over by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and attended by representatives of all the four provinces and the AJK.
Of the 40 projects, three projects are already in progress but were revised for various reasons. Total cost of these projects is Rs2.5 billion. The remaining 37 projects having total cost of Rs92.6 billion are fresh.
The focus of these projects, mostly in the infrastructure and social sectors, is on energy security to sustain 7-8 per cent growth rate during the next five years and increasing the nuclear power production from 300-mw to 8,800-mw by 2030.
Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Dr Akram Sheikh told reporters after the meeting that the government had planned to reduce its dependence on fuel and gas and increase its dependence on other resources, including nuclear power for energy security that is vital to sustain the current growth rate in the future.
He said that under the Energy Security Plan, Pakistan would enhance its nuclear power generation from 437-mw to 8,800-mw by 2030. Currently nuclear power in the country contributes less than one per cent in the electric power system of the country that would be increased to eight per cent by 2030.
He said that about Rs2.5 billion were approved by Ecnec to improve design, fuel and fabrication facilities of the laboratories of the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (Pinstech) so that plant manufacturing capacity could be increased to 1000-mw from the current 300-mw.
At present, Pakistan is producing 137mw power at Kannup (Karachi Nuclear Power Plant) and 300mw at Chashma nuclear power plant-1. He said that Pakistan would initially install nuclear power plant of 600mw and then it will go for the 1000mw nuclear power generating plants to achieve the target of 8800mw of nuclear power.
A major part of Rs20.83 billion worth of seven projects goes to the health sector, including a Rs11.5 billion immunization programme for children to be implemented in five years. The remaining projects include prevention and cure of hepatitis B, blindness, HIV/Aids and tuberculosis because a minimum of 10 per cent of population was suffering from hepatitis alone, said Mr Sheikh and added that water-borne diseases were an issue in Pakistan.
He said the government would explore more hydel resources instead of thermal powerhouses to be run on fuel and gas. In infrastructure, Ecnec approved 11 projects of 33.3 billion, 23 projects of Rs46.2 billion in social sector, a Rs4.1 billion project for agriculture sector, and three projects of Rs8 billion in the area of governance.
He said that with a view to providing relief to growers, the government had reduced power tariffs for tube-wells by 75 paisa per unit during the off-peak hours.
The Punjab government has already taken the decision in this behalf and meters have been installed on the sites of agriculture tube-wells. The meeting was told that the current average losses of Wapda stood at 24.5 per cent, which needed to be reduced, and in this regard specific projects would be approved in the next CDWP and Ecnec meetings.
He said Ecnec approved two projects in the water sector, three in energy sector, two in housing and physical planning, two in Pakistan railways, four in education, seven in health, four in population welfare, three water supply schemes for residential areas, two development projects for less developed areas such as Fata, and others.
Responding to a question, he said the government was initiating a development plan in Fata under which small roads of about 192km would be constructed in Khyber, Mohmand and Bajaur Agencies, in addition to 31 tube-wells, 135 hand pumps, 68 gravity schemes, 80 irrigation ponds and 36 small irrigation schemes.
