Senate debates CPEC Authority Amendment Bill

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Upper House of the parliament, the Senate has debated the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

The Bill proposes a number of changes including offering control of the management of the CPEC Authority to its board of directors.

The Bill was tabled by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)’s Senator Mian Raza Rabbani. The Bill proposes that the federal government should issue policy directions to the CPEC Authority which it should be bound to follow.

The Bill was referred by Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani to a sub-committee of the upper house of parliament. Sharing details of the Bill, Senator Rabbani said that previously, all control over the CPEC Authority was exercised by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) but if the Bill was approved, the control would be instead exercised by the Authority’s board of directors which would include representatives from the provinces.

The Bill was however opposed by the government. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said the number of amendments Raza Rabbani was proposing were not feasible.

In May, the CPEC Authority Bill had sailed through the Senate. The CPEC Authority Bill 2021 seeks to establish CPEC Authority to “further accelerate the pace of CPEC-related activities,” according to the bill’s Statement of Objects and Reasons.

“It aims to find new drivers of economic growth, unlock the potential of the interlinked production network and global value chains through regional and global connectivity,” that Bill, which has now been signed into a law by President Arif Alvi, said.

It added: “The Authority would be responsible for planning, facilitating, coordinating, monitoring and evaluating to ensure implementation of all activities related to CPEC, ensuring inter-provincial and inter-ministerial coordination; organising and coordinating meetings of Joint Coordination Committee and Joint Working Groups; conducting sectoral research for informed decision-making and long-term planning; monitoring and evaluation and to ensure implementation beside narrative- building and communication of CPEC and other related activities from time to time.”