KARACHI, Nov 26: A crucial meeting aimed at restructuring of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board on professional and commercial basis has been convened on Saturday (today).
The meeting to be presided over by the City Nazim, Niamatullah Khan, is likely to make some important decisions for improving the KWSB's efficiency concerning the services delivered by it to the citizens.
Referring to the President Pervez Musharraf's directive, which he had issued while chairing a high-level meeting in Islamabad on Nov 19, the City Nazim, Niamatullah Khan, in a letter sent to the KWSB's executive district officer/managing director, said: "The president has directed that a very serious restructuring is required in the KWSB to improve its efficiency regarding the services delivered to Karachi and its citizens."
Recalling that both the president and prime minister had categorically emphasized in the meeting that the restructuring of the KWSB be executed on the basis of professional and commercial principles, the nazim has urged the KWSB's managing-director to develop a comprehensive plan for accomplishing the task in accordance with the studies already conducted in detail during the last few years.
Sources in the city government said that the president had expressed his concerns over the huge water losses and poor revenue position of the KWSB, urging the authorities concerned to carry out professional as well as commercials restructuring of the board so as to improve the its working.
Today's meeting, called by the nazim, was expected to take some concrete decisions in this regard after in-depth discussions on the issue, the sources added.
BOI ADVICE: The city government will move a reference to the Board of Investment (BoI) to seek its advice on abolishing the condition of bid bond - a pre-requisite for mega projects - in the $250 million Bagh Ibn-i-Qasim project.
Official sources told newsmen on Friday that the decision was taken in a meeting held the other day to review progress on city government's investment projects. The meeting was chaired by the City Nazim, Naimatullah Khan.
The Executive District Officer, Enterprise and Investment Promotion, Raeesuddin Paracha, gave a detailed presentation on the progress of various projects. He informed that pre-qualified companies of the project were reluctant to submit bid bond, and instead were ready to provide a bank guarantee and security deposit at the time of agreement signing.
The EDO said that bid bond was the main hurdle in proceeding further despite the fact that Deighton International, UK had confirmed arranging an investment worth $200 million, and was only waiting a go ahead signal from authorities.
The sources said that the condition of bid bond for mega projects was according to the procedure laid down by the BoI, and any deviation from the standard procedure would be against the board's policy.
The city nazim tasked the EDO to make the reference, saying further action would be taken only after receipt of a reply from the BoI. On the "Development of Underdeveloped Parks" project, the meeting was informed that almost all parks included in the project were under litigation.
Raees Paracha informed that 17 bids had been received from pre-qualified companies regarding the project. And if awarded on built, operate and transfer (BOT) basis, it would fetch an annual revenue of Rs53 million.
Naimatullah Khan, expressing displeasure over the slow pace in the project, directed that a sub-committee be constituted, which would be headed by the EDO E&IP. The committee would examine such cases and submit its report within a week.
Regarding the "Development of Beaches/Coastal Zones of Karachi" project, the meeting was told that slow pace of work on the vital project was simply due to insistence of pre-qualified firms for transfer of land, on which the project was to be developed, in the name of the bidder so as to facilitate them for bank borrowing. It was decided that the city nazim would visit the potential site shortly.
With respect to the important "Waste to Energy" project, two pre-qualified firms - Brind International and Dalian Dazheng - had submitted cheques worth 30,000 Pounds Sterling and Rs3 million respectively with their offers. The nazim constituted a sub-committee, to be headed by the EDO E&IP to evaluate bids received so far and submit its report within a week.
Raeesuddin Paracha told the meeting that any power generation project above 50 megawatts would be subject to approval from the Private Power Infrastructure Board (PPIB). He said that companies, which had submitted their bids, were interested in setting up power generation plants of 100 megawatts. The meeting was attended by the DCO Karachi, Fazalur Rahman, EDOs of various departments and other city government officials. -PPI