The CPEC consists of 38 development projects of various sectors, including Aviation Division, National Highway Authority (NHA), Finance Division, Information Technology and Telecom Division, Interior Division, Planning Development and Reforms Division, Port and Shipping Division, Railway Division and Water and Power Division (power sector).
For 14 NHA projects, the government released Rs27 billion till February 24, out of the budgeted Rs117.8 billion. For two projects of Finance Division, Rs40 million have been released out of the budgeted allocation of Rs600 million. Rs126 million have been released for two projects of the Information Technology and Telecom Division against the budgeted Rs280 million.
The government has yet to release funds for the projects of the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms, out of the budgeted allocation of Rs10 million. The Interior Ministry has only one project, for security of the CPEC projects, for which the entire budgeted Rs1.3 billion has been disbursed.
Rs255 million have been disbursed for seven development projects of the ports and shipping against the allocation of Rs6.3 billion. Government released Rs60 million for one project, 132kv Sub Station at Deep Sea Port Gwadar, out of three proposed projects of Water and Power Division (Power Sector), against Rs175 million budgeted allocation for the current fiscal year.
The funds released for NHA projects in this fiscal year are: (i) Rs5.8 billion for the construction of Burhan-Hakla on M-I to the Dera Ismail Khan Motorway, against the allocation of Rs22 billion; (ii) Rs2.8 billion for widening and improvement of N-85 Hoshab-Nag-Basima-Surab Road from Khuzdar to Panjgur (459-km) out of the estimated cost of Rs4 billion; (iii) Rs120 million have been released for Zhob-Mughal Kot Road (81-km), N-50, against the budgeted allocation of Rs3.3 billion; (iv) Rs40 million for rehabilitation of the Dera Ismail Khan-Myghal Kot Road, 50-km section, N-50, out of the estimated cost of Rs1.1 billion; (v) Rs708.3 million have been released for land acquisition, affected prosperities' compensation for construction of Burhan-Hakla to Dera Ismail Khan Motorway against the allocation of Rs1.8 billion; (vi) Rs460 million have been released for construction of Burhan-Havelian Expressway (E-35), 59.1-km; (vii) Rs13.6 billion for Lahore-Abdul Hakeem section (230-km) have been released against the allocation of Rs34 billion; (viii) Rs650 million for the Multan-Sukkur section (387-km) against the allocation of Rs19 billion; (ix) Rs310 million for Basima-Khuzdar (110-km) against the total cost of Rs1.3 billion; (x) Rs600 million for Thakot to Havelian 118-km against the allocation of Rs16.5 billion; (xi) and Rs1.80 billion for phase-I of Thakot to Havelian (118-km) against the allocation of Rs1.86 billion.
The government has yet to release any funds for the NHA development projects of Gwadar-Turbat-Hoshab section (200-km) of the Gwadar-Ratodero Road (892-km), M-8, including Khuzdar-Shahdadkot-Ratodero (143-km) - (Gwadar, Turbat, Khuzdar in Balochistan and Kamber, Shahdadkot and Larkana in Sindh), Sukkur-Hyderabad Section (296 km) (PKM) and dualisation of Yarik-Mughalkot-Zhob section of N-50 (254-km), CPEC Western Alignment, including the Zhob bypass and land acquisition.
Nothing has been released for the airport project of the Aviation Division against the budgeted allocation of Rs1.5 billion. However, the Chinese government is giving a grant for New Gwadar International Airport project.
There are two CPEC projects of the Finance Division; (i) the government has released Rs40 million for construction/black topping of access road from Makran Costal Highway to New Gwadar International Airport (CPEC) against budgeted allocation Rs100 million; and (ii) no funds have been released for necessary facilities of fresh water treatment, water supply and distribution in Gwadar.
Two projects for Information Technology and Telecom Division include: (i) construction of cross-border OFC system between China and Pakistan for international connectivity of voice/data traffic (SCO) for which Rs126 million have been disbursed against the allocation of Rs230 million; and (ii) no funds have been released for provision of seamless GSM coverage along the Karakoram Highway for the proposed Gwadar-Kashghar Economic Corridor in Gilgit-Baltistan (SCO) against the budgeted allocation of RS 50 million.
The Ministry for Planning, Development and Reforms has one project, Pak-China Year of Friendly Exchanges Programme, under the CPEC, but no funds have been released for it so far.
There are six projects for Ports and Shipping Division under CPEC and the government has released funds for four projects so far: (i) Rs100 million for construction of Gwadar's East Bay Expressway, against the allocation of Rs4.7 billion, (ii) Rs15 million for establishment of the CPEC Support Unit (CSU) for projects and activities in GPA, out of the budgeted Rs17.6 million, (iii) Rs120 million for feasibility study for construction of breakwaters out of Rs300 million earmarked for the purpose; (iv) and Rs20 million have been released for the Pakistan-China Technical and Vocational Institute at Gwadar, out of the budgeted Rs250 million.
The government is yet to release funds for upgrading Gwadar's existing 50-bed hospital to 300-bed, and capital dredging of berthing areas and channel for an additional terminal. However, the sources said that China would provide grants for the two projects.
The Railway Division has seven CPEC projects for the current fiscal year. Of them, government has released funds for five projects: (i) Rs43.23 million have been released for PC-II for a feasibility study to connect Gwadar with Karachi and Gwadar to Jacobabad highway via Basima against the budgeted allocation of Rs125.5 million; (ii) Rs24.4 million for CPEC support project at the Ministry of Railways against Rs100 million budgeted allocation; (iii) Rs28 million for comprehensive feasibility study for upgrading/rehabilitation of Mainline 1 (ML-I) and new dry port at Havelian district Haripur against Rs28 million budgeted allocation; (iv) Rs534.65 million out of Rs1.17 billion for doubling/improvement of existing track from Port Qasim to Bin Qasim Station; (v) and Rs137 million for feasibility studies for upgrading of existing Mainline-II (ML-II) and upgrading and extension of ML-III against the allocation of Rs165.7 million.
The government did not release funds for a feasibility study for rail link from Havelian to the Pakistan-China border and rehabilitation/ upgrading of ML-I, including acquisition of land for a new dry port at Bildhair in Haripur district.
Water and Power Division (Power Sector) has three projects under CPEC but the government has released Rs60 million for only one project of 132KV sub stations at deep sea port Gwadar (QESCO) against Rs150 million budgeted allocation. No funds have been released for the projects of 132KV sub-stations at Down Town, Gwadar, (revised PC-I cost Rs321 million) and pre-feasibility-installation of 300MW coal-fired power plant at Gwadar.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017