A CDWP meeting presided over by the Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan, cleared one development project with a cumulative estimated cost of Rs. 3.5 billion and recommended two projects worth Rs. 52.02 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further consideration.
Senior officials from Planning Commission and Federal Ministries/Divisions also participated in the meeting while representatives from Provincial Governments participated through video conferences.
Projects related to Health and Information Technology were presented in the meeting.
A project related to Information Technology was presented in the meeting, namely “establishment of IT park Karachi” worth Rs. 31199.885 million recommended to ECNEC for further approval.
The project envisages developing a competitive knowledge-based economy through value addition, innovation, and technology adoption as delineated from time to time in various documents such as Pakistan Vision 2025, Digital Pakistan Policy (2018), and Telecommunication Policy (2015).
The envision investment in the determinants of national competitiveness, skill development, and Information and Communication technologies.
While discussing the Information Technology Project, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission said that technology has become pertinent for economic development, and it offers a robust competitive advantage which ultimately leads to job creation with a strong impact on the economy. He directed the forum to make a special purpose vehicle to run this project in a company mode.
World-class consultants should be hired to implement the project State of the art building with international standards should be constructed. He emphasized that time-bound activities should have designed, and timely completion of the project should be ensured.
A project related to Health was presented by Sindh Government in the meeting, namely “COVID-19 Response and other Natural Climes Control Program” worth Rs. 20822.046 million recommended to ECNEC for further approval. The project envisages strengthening the health and well-being system so that the public health system can be strengthened to deal with the immediate effects of infectious diseases.
The scope of the project includes Civil work 20 bedded ICU, 30 Bedded HDU, 6 DHQs, 4 MED, 20 bedded COVID ward, 23 THQs, up-gradation of 6 DHQs, and 10 other General Hospitals of Karachi, Hyderabad, and Shaadpure Institute of Medical Science, installation of 13 oxygen generation plants to various hospitals.
The forum directed that the vehicles and administrative costs will be met by the provincial government.
A project of PAEC for Cancer Hospital in Muzafarabad worth Rs. 3413.947 million was also approved by CDWP.
