ISLAMABAD: The government is establishing the China-Pak Economic Corridor Support Secretariat at the ministry of railways which will help formulate a long-term plan of action to be implemented by the two countries in the next 15 years, it has been learnt.

The two countries are developing long-term scheme to connect Kashgar with Gwadar and Karachi in the first phase. The scheme includes a master plan that will contain projects for developing the economic corridor.

At its meeting on Tuesday, the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved an allocation of Rs252 million for establishment of the secretariat at the railways ministry, official sources said.

According to them, the secretariat will also provide support to steering committee of the China-Pak Economic Corridor in the procurement of the specialists and experts required to fill the existing capacity gap in handling the regional economic integration projects worth $4 billion in the ministry of railways and the Pakistan Railways.

To expedite, facilitate and oversee development of the long-term plan as well as the designing and implementation of the projects contained in it both sides have already constituted a joint cooperation committee at the ministerial level besides joint working groups on transport, energy and planning.

All the plans and projects pertaining to the corridor are discussed in the joint working groups and then recommendations are made to the joint cooperation committee to finalise the high-priority plans and projects.

A number of strategic projects are being envisaged under the economic corridor scheme, especially in the transport, infrastructure and energy sectors, which will further enhance regional cooperation.

During Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to China in July 2013, an agreement was signed which envisaged greater connectivity and trade linkages between the two countries through a network of roads, railway tracks, fibre-optic cables and fuel pipelines.

To expedite implementation of these projects a secretariat has already been set up at the Planning Commission. However, to expedite implementation of the prioritised projects and to gain momentum and continuous achievements, a need was felt to create capacities at the ministry of railways.

The secretariat will facilitate, coordinate, monitor and evaluate the projects. It will provide a much-needed platform for multi-sector coordination and a consultative, ‘informed’ approach vis-a-vis trade and transport reforms and policy formulation.

Published in Dawn January 12th , 2014

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