GWADAR: Chinese companies, which prepared the Gwadar Master Plan Smart City, have expressed concern over delay in its approval by the federal government.

Sources said that the Gwadar Master Plan Smart City was prepared by China Communication Construction Company Limited and Fourth Harbour Engineering Investigation at a cost of Rs521 million, including a Chinese grant of Rs425m and Rs91m provided by the government of Pakistan.

The sources said the companies had started work on the master plan in August 2017 and completed it in December 2018 and forwarded the plan to the federal government for approval, but it has not been approved so far.

“The plan is with the steering committee of the planning and development department,” a senior official told Dawn in Gwadar.

The governing body of the Gwadar Development Authority had already approved the plan.

“Chinese companies have expressed displeasure over the delay in approval of the plan by the steering committee of the planning and development department and warned the government of Pakistan will have to pay extra cost caused by the delay,” the official said.

He said the delay would also affect other projects.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2019