The National Highway Authority (NHA) Executive Board has directed the Authority to revisit the request for proposal (RFP) and consult the Asian Development Board (ADB) for the award of works in local currency wherever possible as the country is facing a scarcity of foreign exchange.
Official documents revealed that Capt. (Retd.) Muhammad Khurram Agha, Chairman, NHA presided over the Board meeting where the Member (I&M) observed that the country is facing a scarcity of foreign exchange, therefore, NHA may avoid signing of contracts having foreign exchange components.
The Chief National Transport Research Centre (NTRC) informed the Board that there is a precedent of payment of foreign exchange to contractors by NHA in past years. He suggested that the foreign exchange for the import of machinery may be released after getting verification from FBR. The GM (P&CA) apprised that as per guidelines of ADB, NHA floated the RFPs, which have no bar on the foreign component. The Board directed that, in the current scenario, NHA revisits the RFPs and consult the ADB for the award of works in local currency wherever possible.
The NHA Executive Board approved the award of works, OCB/CAREC/T-II: Construction of Additional Carriageway from Shikarpur to Rajanpur of N-55 (221.95 Km), Lot-2: Kandhkot – Kashmore Section [Km 105+820 to Km 164+600 (58.78 Km)] be awarded to M/s China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation at the Lowest Evaluated Bid Price of Rs. 11.275 billion, which is 8.15 percent below Engineer’s Estimate based on CSR-2014 by including Foreign Currency requirement (15 percent) along with Price adjustment on actual utilization/expenditure against specific items subject to the approval of PC-I by including Foreign Currency requirements.
The NHA Executive Board recommended the PC-I for the Rehabilitation & Upgradation of Pezu – Tank Road (Length: 38 Km) at a cost of Rs. 4,139.12 million for approval of CDWP.
The NHA Executive Board recommended a revised PC-I for the construction of Kot Pindi Das Interchange on Motorway M-2 at the rationalized cost of Rs. 784.873 million for approval of DDWP.
The NHA Executive Board empowered the already constituted RMA Committee to assess each project, which was under active procurement prior to July 07, 2022, indicated below individually on merit and take appropriate decisions including the award of projects:
- Dualization of Khuzdar – Kuchlack Section of National Highway (N-25) Section III &IV
- Dualization of Kuchlack Zhob Section of N-50 Package I, II &III.
- Construction of Additional Carriageway PetaroSehwan N-55 Section-I (64 Km) (Package IC) (Km 40+000 to Km 64+000)
- Construction of 2.25 km missing Link Road on Okara Side to connect Rai Mansab Ali Khan Kharal Bridge Approach Road with the existing Provincial Highway Network
The Board directed that the Chief (NTRC) will act as a co-opted member in the constituted committee for the above-mentioned projects.
The NHA Executive Board approved:
- Creation of 1084 temporary/supernumerary posts, being the competent authority, for the NHA Special Service Cadre (NSSC)
- Adjustment/regularization of contract/daily wage employees of NHA, cleared by the committee with effect from their earlier regularization order of 2011 & 2013 (as the case may be).
