Bids invited for Pak-China Economic Corridor project

[Saifullah Sani]

Bids have been invited from Chinese construction companies and other international and local firms for the multi-billion dollar project of Pak-China Economic Corridor (PCEC), the country’s biggest road project recently launched by the government.

According to a document, the bids have been invited through national and international publications.

Work on one of the sections of the PCEC has been initiated this month under which a motorway from Havelian to Thakot as phase-I of the Islamabad-Raikot section of the corridor would be constructed.

The Havalian to Thakot section of the corridor is being financed by China while other phases will be carried out on the basis of Built Operate and Transfer (BOT).

The second section of the PCEC will be initiated next month for the construction of a motorway from Karachi to Hyderabad. The project has been awarded to the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO).

The third section will be initiated in a couple of months for the construction of Multan-Sukkur Motorway.

Some other sections, including Hyderabad to Sukkur, Lahore to Multan and Sukkur to Multan motorways will be started one by one.

Talking to Dawn, a senior official of National Highway Authority (NHA) said that it was a wrong impression that only Chinese firms would execute work on all sections of the PCEC. Bids had been invited from all international and local firms and any firm could win the contract, he added.

He said in a major strategic shift the NHA’s financial regime had been changed and all mega road projects were being executed on the basis of BOT.

In past such projects were conducted through government assistance.

The official said the firms which would invest their money in the PCEC project would be paid through collection of road tax (toll). “We will not give any prior financial guarantee to the firms but they will be given toll plazas, service areas and the right-of-way of the sections they will execute,” he added.

The official said besides the PCEC project some other related projects would also be initiated soon. They included reconstruction of existing Islamabad-Lahore Motorway and Karakorum Highway (KKH) that originates from the Pak-China border.

Talking about the Islamabad-Lahore Motorway (M-2), the official said according to its original plan it was to be reconstructed after 10 years of its construction but it was not done even after the lapse of 17 years. This project was also being executed on the BOT basis.

Answering a question about a controversy that the NHA has awarded a contract to a firm of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s close aide Saifur Rehman, the head of defunct Ehteasb Bureau or the previous version of National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the official said no contract of any section of the PCEC had been awarded to Mr Rehman.

However, he added, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been signed between the NHA and Mr Rehman’s firm for a consultancy study of the PCEC project which was being carried out free of cost.

Bids invited for Pak-China Economic Corridor project - Newspaper - DAWN.COM

 

[tarrar]

Pakistan does not need good hospitals, dams, reactor, gas pipe lines, solar & wind mill power projects, etc. but we need is only roads.

 

[I FLY HIGH]

@tarrar , critics would be critics , terbella 4 is started (1400 mwtt), will be complete in 2017, neelam jehlum is fast tracked (will be operational in 2015), Dasu is on and its construction will be started soon as its funds has been arrannged via ADB, 2- Nuclear reactor in karachi 2600 mwatts is already earth breaked work in underway,Pipe lines is on the cards while LNG terminal is under construction to overcome the shortage ,3- wind projects are also under process of execution while Pakistans first sola project Qaid eAzam solar project is to deliver power soon in a couple of months or so . So all the sectors are being looked upon and nothing is being ignored .

 

[Echo_419]

Pakistan does not need good hospitals, dams, reactor, gas pipe lines, solar & wind mill power projects, etc. but we need is only roads.

Yes but Roads are also very important
On topic
This corridor will surely help the Pakistani economy & will help to stab elide the region

 

[Pakistani E]

I'm not putting any money in until I hear about what happen to the money in the yellow cab scheme? Hain taklu? Woh paisay kidhir gaya?

 

[SBD-3]

I'm not putting any money in until I hear about what happen to the money in the yellow cab scheme? Hain taklu? Woh paisay kidhir gaya?

Hahahahaha....says the world bank....woh kya kehtay hain "hissa dhelay ka nahi,shoor lakhon ka"

 

[I FLY HIGH]

I'm not putting any money in until I hear about what happen to the money in the yellow cab scheme? Hain taklu? Woh paisay kidhir gaya?

try to think , yellow cab scheme was funded by banks just as you get a car via leasing from banks , the only difference is that some portion of mark up is paid by the govt . so it must be clear that this scheme is not funded by govt .

 

[Pakistani E]

try to think , yellow cab scheme was funded by banks just as you get a car via leasing from banks , the only difference is that some portion of mark up is paid by the govt . so it must be clear that this scheme is not funded by govt .

Are you joking?

 

[I FLY HIGH]

Are you joking?

if you think it is not bank financed then God can help you or you can help yourself.

 

[Ahsan Butt]

What Pakistan need is One system education, Youth Employment, Justice, much need green passport value and most most important eliminate terrorist activities from Pakistan.. These are the Basics . we need it

 

[Green Arrow]

Good what we need at this time is a political stability and better security environment to keep moving our economy.

 

[Wolfhound]

Pakistan does not need good hospitals, dams, reactor, gas pipe lines, solar & wind mill power projects, etc. but we need is only roads.

You are right to an extent(roads within cities should be semi ignored all over pakistan) but these National highways and Motorways are very necessary for our countries stability and growth as these roads function without needing secondary infrastructure(e.g electricity and gas) and generate alot of revenue,employment,create opportunities for trade and develop surrounding areas

 

[Echo_419]

You are right to an extent(roads within cities should be semi ignored all over pakistan) but these National highways and Motorways are very necessary for our countries stability and growth as these roads function without needing secondary infrastructure(e.g electricity and gas) and generate alot of revenue,employment,create opportunities for trade and develop surrounding areas

Exactly Nawaz is doing a very good thing by building All these Highways & Motorways
They will help to sustain Growth in cumming years