The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is implementing 34 foreign-funded projects worth $3,651 million, while the Government of Balochistan is executing 12 foreign-funded projects amounting to $509 million.
Secretary Economic Affairs Division (EAD), Mian Asad Hayaud Din, informed the National Coordination Committee on Foreign-Funded Projects (NCC-FFP) on Monday. The committee held its meeting with Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Omar Ayub Khan, in the chair.
It was informed that the projects were being funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Union (EU), World Bank (WB), China, France, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
The committee was apprised that the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had accelerated the pace of work on the projects owing to the dedicated efforts and regular follow-up by NCC-FFP. As of result, the number of problematic projects of the KP government reduced from six to three, while the partially satisfactory projects were down from 11 to seven.
The Minister directed the authorities to closely monitor the remaining projects, set timelines for removing all hurdles and put the projects on track.
About the ADB-funded Access to Clean Energy Investment Program, the committee was told that out of 8,000 schools, installation of solar facilities in 5,946 schools had been completed, while the installation process at the rest of schools would be completed by the end of June 2022. It was further informed that 53 health units had been solarized whereas contracts for the remaining 134 health units had been awarded and work was underway.
Besides, it was highlighted that under Micro-Hydropower Plant (MHPP) Component, 287 MHPPs had been installed, whereas the remaining 411 MHPPs were underway.
The committee also reviewed the progress on the “Pehur High-level Canal Extension Project” for which ADB had committed $86.41 million. This project envisaged developing a new irrigated area of over 8,727 hectares in Swabi and Nowshera districts of KP where water resources for agricultural production are currently dependent on rainfall only. Around 75,000 people will benefit from the project once it gets completed.
On the progress of foreign-funded projects by the Government of Balochistan, the committee was informed that 12 foreign-funded projects amounting to $ 509 million were being implemented by the provincial government. Two of the projects were problematic and four other projects were partially satisfactory.
The committee discussed in detail the problematic projects such as the Balochistan Water Resources Development Project worth $ 102 million funded by ADB and Balochistan Water Management & Community Support Project worth $ 110 million funded by WB.
The Minister directed the authorities to remove all the bottlenecks and expedite the progress on these projects on a fast-track basis. He appreciated the efforts of line departments for expediting the implementation of other foreign-funded projects. He directed the line departments to strictly follow the timelines for expeditious implementation of the development projects.
Chief Minister KP, Mahmood Khan, Additional Chief Secretary (Development) and respective provincial secretaries of KP attended the meeting. Additional Chief Secretary (Development) and relevant provincial secretaries of Balochistan were also present in the portfolio review meeting.
