Four key areas under CPEC prioritised Prime Minister Imran Khan!

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Four key areas under CPEC prioritised

Khaleeq KianiUpdated January 19, 2019
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Early completion of the CPEC projects is in Pakistan’s interest, says prime minister. — File photo

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday prioritised four key areas under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for the next couple of years and ordered the groundbreaking of at least three special economic zones (SEZs) before end-June this year.

He was presiding over a meeting here to review progress on the CPEC.

Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar briefed the participants on the outcome of the 8th CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting and progress on the projects.

The prime minister gave targets for short- to mid-term phases, focusing on cooperation in industrial, socio-economic, agriculture and Gwadar. “It was decided to make the period as a phase of industrial cooperation, socioeconomic and agriculture sector development. Timelines for the development of prioritised SEZs were finalised to ensure groundbreaking in first half of 2019,” an official statement said.

PM orders groundbreaking of three special economic zones by end of June

The meeting was told that four SEZs — Rashaki in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dhabeji in Sindh and M-3 Faisalabad and one in Islamabad — had been planned for development in the first phase and three of them — Rashakai, Dhabeji and Faisalabad — would be ready for groundbreaking by June this year, starting with Rashakai in two to three months. However, IT SEZ in Islamabad would take more time for various reasons including but not limited to selection of its site and then land acquisition process.

The prime minister directed to make full use of upcoming visits of Chinese investors by explaining to them Pakistan’s tax policies and available facilities and speedy processing of business proposals to market SEZs aligned with its development. He desired that ease of doing business should be improved immediately so as these could be shared with the Chinese business delegations. He “directed that a timeline-based policy on provision of utilities to SEZs be prepared at the earliest”. The prime minister directed the Board of Investment’s chairman to present comprehensive recommendations within four weeks on speedy development of SEZs.

The prime minister was informed that the meeting of the newly created Joint Working Group (JWG) on agriculture would meet on Feb 15 in Beijing. It was reported that the Chinese officials had raised questions over Pakistan’s agriculture and the country’s experts wondered why an agro-based economy did not have consistent crop patterns and output predictabilities.

The prime minister directed the relevant agencies and ministries to finalise a well researched agriculture sector road map before going to the JWG meeting next month. “Don’t go unprepared” to the JWG, an official quoted the prime minister as saying.

Mr Khan directed that Pakistan side should finalise the road map for promoting agriculture sector, inviting Chinese companies to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan and leverage agro value chains.

The meeting decided to promote joint ventures in petrochemicals, iron & steel, food and agriculture. On the recommendations of the Planning Commission, the prime minister approved formation of a CPEC Business Advisory Council consisting of leading Pakistani business executives, heads of financial institutions and representatives of business chambers to create an interface with the private sector.

Mr Khan directed that that development of the corridor should continue with the priority to the development of its western route. He emphasised that infrastructure development needed a policy of pragmatism and due financial diligence and not on political considerations.

In the same spirit, a high-level committee, comprising ministers for planning, railways and finance, was formed to finalise modalities on Pakistan Railways ML-1 — the strategic project of the CPEC.

Informed sources said that some ministries had reservations over the Chinese financial and cost modelling of $8.2 billion ML-1 project — Karachi to Torkham border — and wanted some changes.

In the last month JCC meeting, the two sides had nevertheless agreed that “the project should be implemented in line with the Framework Agreement signed in May 2017”.

The prime minister directed that the development of Gwadar should be planned as a smart port city to make it a transhipment and petrochemical hub. He called upon the participants to further expedite progress on various projects under the CPEC because their early completion would bring huge socio-economic opportunities to people.

PM Khan made it clear that early completion of the CPEC projects was in Pakistan’s interest. He said Pakistan could greatly benefit from Chinese experience of bringing its people out of poverty traps and desired that poverty alleviation programmes should be based on multi-pronged schemes because BISP-like programmes could not go on forever.

The meeting that lasted about two hours reviewed overall progress on the CPEC, particularly in the areas of industrial development, — SEZs, ML-1 project, agriculture development, socio-economic development, infrastructure development and Gwadar development.

 

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PM Imran summons proposal on special economic zones of CPEC

Last updated on: 18 January,2019 08:41 pm

Imran Khan directed that Pakistan side should finalize road map for promoting agriculture sector.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday while summoning proposals on special economic zones of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), directed to accelerate the pace of work on the projects.

The prime minister presided over a meeting in Islamabad today (Friday) to review progress on China Pakistan Economic Corridor and set targets for short to mid-term phase, focusing on cooperation in industrial, socio-economic, agriculture and Gwadar.

PM Imran Khan was briefed on the outcome of the 8th CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee meeting and progress on the projects.

It was decided to make the period as a phase of industrial cooperation, socioeconomic and agriculture sector development. Timelines for the development of prioritized SEZs were finalized to ensure ground breaking in 1st half of 2019.

The premier directed to make full use of Chinese investors visits this year, promote awareness amongst investors on Pakistan s tax policies, market SEZs aligned with its development and ensure ease of doing business.

He instructed to form a CPEC Business Advisory Council consisting of leading Pakistani business executives to create an interface with the private sector.

Imran Khan directed that Pakistan side should finalize road map for promoting agriculture sector, inviting Chinese companies to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan and leverage agro value chains.

He also directed that the development of Gwadar should be planned as a smart port city to make it a transshipment and petrochemical hub.


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Early completion of CPEC to bring socio-economic opportunities: PM Imran

Premier reviews CPEC project development
By sohail chaudhry
Jan.18,2019
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a meeting to review the progress made on projects falling under the umbrella of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and said the completed projects will bring socio-economic opportunities for the people and hence they should be completed as soon as possible.

During the huddle, various projects under the CPEC banner and development of various sectors came under review and the premier stressed upon the need to further speed up the projects.

The development of industries, agriculture, the socio-economic sector, Gwadar, special economic zones, the ML-1 project and the development of infrastructure came under review.

Qatar expresses interest in CPEC, investment in Gwadar

The premier also said that Pakistan can learn a lot from China, especially when it comes to eradicating poverty. He was of the opinion that Pakistan’s potential to develop the industrial and agriculture sector can also be fully recognised through bilateral cooperation.

The BOI chairman was also given four weeks to submit comprehensive recommendations to expedite the development of special economic zones.

The meeting further decided to form a CPEC Business Advisory Council to ensure that all aspects of the project run smoothly.

 

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Pakistan Railways ML-1- We need to engage our neighbours and regional partners to agree a standard gauge. The highest priority should be given to the China-Pakistan railway to link up to the Yiwu-Europe rail.

 

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Pakistan Railways ML-1- We need to engage our neighbours and regional partners to agree a standard gauge. The highest priority should be given to the China-Pakistan railway to link up to the Yiwu-Europe rail.

SEZ/industry park is the highest priority.
China-Pakistan railway will absolutely be there, but to Europe, the mideast is still in war.

 

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CPEC scope to be widened, says Bakhtiar

Mansoor MalikUpdated January 21, 2019
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Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Khusro Bakhtiar says Pakistan will reinforce economic growth to get out of low income countries’ group. — File photo

LAHORE: Pakistan has decided to widen the scope of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), says Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Khusro Bakhtiar.

Unveiling the CPEC’s new vision during a news conference here on Sunday, he said Pakistan and China had signed agreements for industrial, agriculture and socio-economic development projects under the CPEC.

Mr Bakhtiar said Pakistan would reinforce its economic growth and if everything went as per plans the country would jump from the low-income countries’ group to the middle-income countries’ group in the next three to five years.

He said the CPEC’s Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting in Beijing had agreed to expand the corridor project with industrial, agriculture and socio-economic developments, besides promoting the petrochemical chain, hydrocarbon sector, as well as maritime sector to tap potential.

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He said that since China had $4,000 billion global trade, including $2,200 billion exports, Islamabad had urged Beijing to generate push factor by bringing its light engineering and manufacturing industry to Pakistan. “Pakistan will generate pull factor to expand manufacturing base that is shrinking for the past many years,” he added.

Planning minister says Pakistan will reinforce economic growth to get out of low income countries’ group

Lamenting that Pakistan’s exports were just around $25 billion, the planning minister asserted that his government would bring Pakistan out of the quagmire of economic challenges. He said the industrial cooperation with China would help relocate industry and operationalisation of four special economic zones (SEZs) in Rashakai, Dhabeji, Faisalabad and Islamabad.

He said that these four SEZs could help increase Pakistan’s exports by $6.5 billion and reduce imports by $3 billion while manufacturing the required items. “Pakistan’s trade deficit can be reduced by $9.5 billion in a matter of three years,” he said.

Asserting that Pakistan’s major challenge was to increase exports, he claimed that Pakistan imported less this year and its trade deficit decreased by 19 per cent.

Stating that agriculture constituted Pakistan’s 25pc of GDP, Mr Bakhtiar regretted the previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government did not make agriculture a focus point in the the CPEC project. “The PTI government has signed Agriculture Framework agreement some five years after the launch of corridor project in 2013 and its first joint working group meeting has been scheduled for next month,” he said.

Explaining ground realities, Mr Bakhtiar said China was importing beef, mutton and chicken to the tune of $7 billion, but Pakistan showed zero exports. Similarly, China is also importing fisheries products, with a minimal share from Pakistan. “In agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors, we can gain benefit in short-term,” he said.

Regretting that the previous government had ignored Gwadar, he said the present government was finalising the Gwadar master plan. Saudi Arabia and the UAE had already shown their interests in investing around $7 billion in the petrochemical chain and hydrocarbon industry, he said, adding that coastal development would boost the country’s fisheries sector

$1bn Chinese grant
The planning minister said that China had agreed to give a grant of $1 billion for development of education, health, irrigation and less-developed areas.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan was focusing on poverty alleviation and in this regard the government had planned six pilot projects. The Chinese model will be adopted for poverty alleviation in the country. “The prime minister has also constituted a Poverty Alleviation Coordination Council to launch interventions and meet people’s basic needs,” he added.

He said Pakistan wanted to upgrade railways (ML-1) from Peshawar to Karachi, expedite work on western corridor and Quetta-Zhob connectivity. “Pakistan plans projects on a build-operate-transfer basis so that they become self-sustainable and viable,” he added.

In the power sector, he said the government would be focusing more on generating cheap electricity than going after expensive solutions.

In order to propel the pace of development and growth, he said the JCC had been proposed to meet twice, while working groups meet thrice a year. In order to remove secrecy regime, he said, the prime minister had finalised the constitution of a Business Advisory Council.

He said the south Punjab secretariat, having complete administrative and financial autonomy, would begin working before June 30. Asserting that the south Punjab province would be created on administrative grounds, he said the incumbent government would need support from the opposition parties to bring amendments to the Constitution.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2019