ECNEC likely to approve key projects tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar has summoned the session of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) tomorrow in which key projects are likely to be approved, ARY News reported on Monday.

Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar summoned the ECNEC session tomorrow to discuss a seven-point agenda. The council is expected to approve the prime minister’s national programme for the solarisation of tubewells.

The agenda items also include the reviewed programme of the Sindh Solar Energy Project, approval of the 800MW power supply to the National Grid from Mohmand Dam, third reviewed emergency plan for polio eradication, rural investment support project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and construction of a Kala Shah Kaku-Multan Road Lahore bypass.

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Development projects worth Rs280b

Last month, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) had approved the development projects worth Rs280 billion on the last working of the current fiscal year.

The approved projects include a flood-related project, the construction of the Sindh Coastal Highway and a national multi-sectoral nutrition program to reduce stunting and other forms of malnutrition, a press statement of the finance ministry read.

The national project worth Rs194.6 billion was approved for the protection from the floods in which Rs10.86 billion will be spent from foreign financing.

The ECNEC approved a project for providing water to the Sindh Thar Coal through Makhi Farash Link Canal which would cost over Rs12 billion to the exchequer. The project will enable the provision of 22 cusecs of water for power generation and irrigation.

Another project has been approved for the rehabilitation of the flood affectees.

The ECNEC approved the Kachhi Canal project worth Rs8.28 billion, whereas, the committee ordered to address the technical issues in the New Balakot City Development project.

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The ECNEC approved a national multi-sectoral nutrition program to reduce stunting and other forms of malnutrition. The project will be completed by the federal government with foreign financial aid.

The project for the construction of the 36-kilometre-long Sindh Coastal Highway worth Rs16.2 billion was also approved. The project will be completed by the Sindh government with the help of the federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

Lahore-Sialkot Motorway Narang Mandi and Narowal Link construction project was also approved in the session. The federal and Punjab government will equally bear the construction cost.

The ECNEC also cleared the construction project for Sanghar-National Highway N-5 which will be completed with the reviewed cost of Rs12.52 billion.