Solving energy problem top priority: Dar
ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday that resolving the energy issue was the government’s top priority.
He made the statement at a briefing session on energy and infrastructure projects, according to a press release.
Economic Affairs Division Secretary Saleem Sethi informed the minister that a number of energy projects were being undertaken to overcome electricity shortage. He said that an amount of $18.783 billion had been allocated for the power sector projects which would make a big contribution to lessen power shortage.
Also read: Parliament watch: Power games, power crisis spell tough times for PML-N
Most of the projects have been undertaken by the Ministry of Water and Power — 16 for power generation, nine for transmission and five for power distribution. Four projects are to be completed under the aegis of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission.
About infrastructure projects under the National Highway Authority (NHA), the EAD secretary said $1.24bn had been incurred on 11 ongoing loan projects out of a total loan amount of $2.13bn. The remaining $890m will be incurred in about two and a half years.
The national trade corridor highway sector development programme, national highway sector development plan, national trade corridor highway investment, Khanewal-Multan motorway project and Malakand tunnel project are the prominent loan projects.
Published in Dawn February 16th , 2015
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