ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Reform informed that 12 early-harvest energy generation projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would be completed by 2017-18.
The committee, chaired by Abdul Majeed Khanan Khalil, was informed that these energy projects would produce 5,000MW of electricity and help overcome the power demand-and-supply gap in the country.
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While briefing the meeting, Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform Secretary Yousuf Naseem Khokhar said that the multi-billion dollar deal comprised of three terms; short, medium and long-term.
The short-term or early-harvest projects are mostly related to energy, based on coal, solar and wind and would be completed by2017-18, said Khokhar.
The medium-term projects under CPEC would be completed by 2025, whereas the long-term projects would be completed by the year 2030, said the secretary, adding that development work on all the projects was gaining momentum each day.
He said that different committees comprising members of parliament and Senate were closely monitoring the performance and possible outcomes of the projects.
The Chinese government was also taken into confidence to include the Diamer-Bhasha Dam projects in the CPEC, which would enhance water storage capacity of the country, said the planning ministry secretary.
He informed that the land acquisition process was completed by spending Rs101 billion and the project would be completed within a span of 8 to 10 years, which would also help increase the life span of Mangla and Tarbela dams.
CPEC projects worth $18b under implementation
Giving an update on CPEC projects, the official said that feasibility study for Matiari-Lahore and Matiari-Faisalabad installation of transmission lines was completed and land acquisition process was in progress. While, upgrade of KKH and Havelian-Thakot phase 2 was also in progress.
He apprised the committee that new projects recommended by the provinces were also included in CPEC, adding that China has assured that construction work for Gwadar Expressway would be started by the second quarter of the current financial year.
The Gwadar Smart City Plane would also be finalised by the end of the current year, whereas industrial cooperation group had also been formed to promote Chinese investment for economic growth, said Khokhar.
Source: The Express Tribune