KARACHI: Gwadar as a very attractive venue for investors from all over the world with the best master plan of Gwadar city, will replace Dubai in near future.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on CPEC Affairs and Minister of State, Khalid Mansoor in his briefing about the latest developments on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects at Pakistan Stock Exchange, on Friday said that water supply and electricity issues at Gwadar will be resolved soon.
About 200 MW electricity would be provided from two different transmission lines to be completed by the end of 2023.
With the help of China, under social uplift fund for the locals, solar panels would be installed on more than 3000 houses in the vicinity of Gwadar.
Similarly, water supply system was being constructed to connect Gwadar with Mirani Dam. Socio-economic uplift of the locals at Gwadar was the top priority of the government. Many schemes were on its cards under CPEC, Public Sector Development Programme and public-private partnership.
He shared his experience as Head of Thar Coal project wherein he did many things for improved life of the locals and one could see big change in the areas around Thar Coal Mine and Thar power projects.
He presented review of CPEC’s First Phase-I which started in 2015 and was completed in scheduled time. It was initially meant to overcome power shortage in Pakistan and upgrade infrastructure. Till date, 5300 MW power had been added to the national pool from coal-fired power plants at Tharparkar and from other sources of renewable energy. From Lahore to Matyari, 880 kms-long transmission line project was near its completion. Now, he emphasized, power was available and the private sector should focus on industrialization.
He mentioned that in 2013, no country/institution was ready to finance Thar coal project and through CPEC Pakistan convinced China to finance and partner in this mega project. The work on the projects under phase-I started in 2015. Besides, Thar coal and Gwadar development projects including its port, two other mega projects under CPEC were laying of optic fibre cable from Islamabad and ML-1 Railway Line from Peshawar to Karachi.
CPEC programme had four parts: 2015 was described as the period of energy and infrastructure development, 2020 as the period of market cultivation, 2025 as the period of expansion and development, whereas 2030 was the period of maturity and that mechanism of sustainable economic growth would be evolved.
Khalid Mansoor said fast development was being done at nine special economic zones in the country; under CPEC.
He said Second Phase of CPEC had been launched with vision to accelerate social-economic development by bringing industrial, technological and agricultural revolution through Chinese investment and transfer of technology.
He said ten joint working groups had been made for different sectors to transform the CPEC ideas into reality.
“We are going to make Pakistan as an international manufacturing hub,” he reaffirmed.
He expressed his satisfaction over the security situation in the country and the credit mainly went to Pakistan armed forces. He said China’s belt-road initiative covered 68 countries of three continents having 62 percent population of the world.
Pakistan Stock Exchange Chairperson, Dr Shamshad Akhtar also shared her experience as member of the World Advisory Group nominated by the World Bank. She said renewable energy projects would hold more significance in BRI.
PSX’s Managing Director, Farrukh H. Khan moderated this interactive session.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
