CPEC: Pakistan’s Planning Commission orders to ensure electricity to Gwadar Airport

Gwadar Pro

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Planning Commission has directed that combined electricity generation from solar and wind should be explored to meet the future needs of Gwadar Airport at the hub of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Chairing a meeting of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) here, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan said that the Gwadar Airport must not lack any facility.

Another transport and communications project, namely, ‘New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) 2nd Revision – worth Pakistani Rs 51.3 billion – was also referred to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further consideration.

The second revised Planning Commission Form number 1 (PC-1) of the project has been submitted by the Aviation Division scope and the cost of Airport Security Force (ASF) camp, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) residential building to be funded and executed by the Pakistani side has increased by the concerned authorities.

The CWDP meeting also gave a green signal to a development project with a cost of Rs 2.66 billion and recommended another project worth Rs 51.29 billion to the ECNEC for consideration.

Projects related to transport and communications were considered during the meeting. A project related to transport and communications, namely, “Feasibility Studies and Detailed Engineering Design for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement Projects (KPCIP) under the Project Readiness Financing – PRF2” worth Rs 2.67 billion also came under discussion.

The project is in Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Abbottabad, Kohat, Mardan and Peshawar. The project envisages engineering and procurement support, planning feasibility, detailed design and capacity-building for urban municipal services, and project management, financial management, procurement, and transport planning.

The forum accorded approval to the ongoing project with the directives to review the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) requirements keeping in view limited development portfolio and future revenues to the country.

Senior officials from the Planning Commission and representatives from the federal ministries and divisions participated in the meeting, while representatives from the provincial governments joined through video-conferences.