ISLAMABAD, July 26: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Thursday approved 20 projects worth Rs33.65 billion, including a foreign component of Rs13.19 billion.

Of these, three projects costing Rs3.20 billion would be implemented in the Punjab and one project estimated to cost Rs1.23 billion in the NWFP. Sixteen projects of the federal government worth Rs13.19 billion were also approved.

The meeting, chaired by Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission M. Akram Sheikh, cleared the concept papers of three important projects — the construction of a new Balakot city, Muzaffarabad development project and the National Trade Corridor Improvement Programme.

The CDWP approved the projects to allow the preparation of feasibility studies and PC-1s of these projects and arrangement of funds for their implementation. The projects are likely be approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) by the end of the year.

The concept paper of the Rs13.7 billion Nuclear Fuel Enrichment Plant was also approved, which will allow the country to make nuclear fuel indigenously.

“We have consistently given this message (to the international community) that we are fully in compliance mood and we need indigenous fuel production to achieve nuclear power production target of 8800 megawatts by 2030,” Member Planning Commission, Asad Ali Shah, told a press briefing after the meeting.

The National Trade Corridor Improvement Programme would cost Rs94.135 billion of which Rs66.814 billion would be arranged by foreign lenders.

The project includes the construction of 270km Hub-Dadu-Karachi Expressway, 97km Peshawar-Torkham Expressway, 97km Hassanabdal-Khawaliaan-Mansehra Expressway, 34km Peshawar Northern Bypass, 184km Faisalabad-Khaniwal Expressway and the Shikarpur-Rato Dero Expressway.

The relocation of Balakot city will cost Rs12 billion of which Rs7.8 billion would be funded by foreign lending agencies.

The Muzaffarabad city development project would cost Rs20 billion of which a bigger chunk of Rs18 billion would come as a foreign exchange component.