ISLAMABAD: The Pub­lic-Private Partnership Authority (PPPA) on Wednesday authorised the viability gap fund and transaction structure for the Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway project which is expected to cost about Rs200 billion.

Chairing the meeting, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar said the Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway — also known as the M-6 motorway — will be the biggest project in the Sindh Development package announced by the prime minister last week.

The M-6 project is to be built as part of the larger eastern alignment of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The federal government had deferred the approval of the Rs192bn M-6 motorway project due to proposed changes in its financing model which now seeks Rs76bn from the budget compared to the original plan of constructing the road with private sector funding.

The Central Development Working Party, which has a mandate to approve public sector projects, referred back the scheme to the PPPA for vetting the budget demand of Rs76bn.

The PM during his visit to Sukkur, had announced Rs446bn development package and programme for the uplift fourteen districts in Sindh. The Sukkur-Hyderabad motorway project is part of the package. The PM said the whole country and particularly Sindh province will benefit from the M-6 motorway.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2021