ISLAMABAD, April 30: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Monday cleared 69 projects with an estimated cost of Rs98 billion, including six plans worth Rs15.7 billion for launching and extending communication satellite systems.
Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Dr Akram Sheikh presided over the CDWP’s meeting.
The Planning Commission’s spokesman Mohammad Asif Sheikh told newsmen after a meeting of the CDWP that 19 projects of Rs82 billion had been recommended to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for approval because their cost exceeded Rs500 million each.
He said the meeting cleared 36 projects in the infrastructure sector with an estimated cost of Rs62.3 billion. Among them were nine projects of Rs19.2 billion for the transport and communications sector, including a foreign exchange component of Rs13.8 billion, he said
Sources said Rs15.7 billion projects had been approved for the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco). They include a Rs14 billion Pakistan Communication Satellite System (Paksat-IR) for which a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Commission on Science, Technology and National Defence Industry (COSTIND) of China and Suparco during the recent visit of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to the country. The project will have a foreign exchange component of Rs11.6 billion involving training cost. Pakistan and China will co-launch the satellite primarily for communication. Suparco has sought participation of the local industry and research organisations for implementation of the project. Paksat-IR is one of the three components of the National Satellite Development Programme of Suparco with Remote Sensing Satellite System (RSSS) and Capacity Building. Paksat-IR, a geostationary communication satellite tailored to Pakistan’s needs, will replace the existing Paksat-1, located at 380EL, by mid 2010. Paksat-1 was leased from abroad to save one of the five slots allowed by the International Telecommunication Union. Pakistan lost all other slots due to the government’s inability to launch satellites within the given time.
The satellite will support both fixed and broadcasting satellite services and have footprints mainly over Pakistan and its adjoining areas. It will have 16-20 transponders and a guaranteed mission life of 15 years. There will be mutually networked Ground Control Stations for controlling the operations of Paksat-1R, the main one in Lahore and the other in Karachi as back-up.Another Rs733 million were approved for extension of Phase-I of the Paksat Project. A project for Satellite Bus Development Facility at a cost of Rs440 million, and two projects for development of a satellite assembly integration and testing facility and its workshop at a cost of Rs420 million were also approved. Another Rs41 million project includes establishment of an atmosphere data receiving and processing centre.
Mr Sheikh said that for the social sector, Rs28.7 billion were approved for 19 projects while Rs6.9 billion were approved for 14 projects in the science and technology sector.
Of the 69 projects, 12 of Rs3.9 billion are for Punjab, eight schemes of Rs14.5 billion for Sindh, eight projects of Rs2.7 billion for the NWFP and a few small projects for Balochistan and the Northern Areas.
The CDWP approved 37 projects of national interest worth Rs76 billion.
A Rs24 billion project – the President’s Education Sector Reforms Programme-Provision of Missing Facilities -- was cleared but it would be decided later if it would be financed by the federal government alone with share of the provinces.
A Rs8 billion sewerage treatment plant project for Karachi and a Rs491 million system for Hyderabad were also approved.
Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Dr Akram Sheikh presided over the meeting.
