Pakistan Seeking Donor Help With $31 Billion Development Projects
ISLAMABAD -(Dow Jones)- Pakistan is seeking help from international donors for projects worth up to $31 billion over the next eight years, including development of the transportation and power sectors.
At the three-day Pakistan Development Forum last week, representatives of donors including the World Bank and Asian Development Bank heard plans for $7 billion in road construction by 2014, $18 billion in major reservoir construction by 2010, $3 billion on the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline and $1 billion on the development of the port city of Karachi.
Donors formulate their plans for Pakistan largely on the outcome of the annual forum.
The government also unveiled a $2 billion, five-year development plan for tribal areas considered a hub of Taliban activities that have been destabilizing neighboring Afghanistan. U.S. aid agency USAID said at the conference it would contribute half the funds for the plan that seeks to alleviate the poverty that the government believes is breeding terrorism in the tribal areas.
In developing the country's water and power resources, he government is focusing on partnership with the private sector in five hydropower projects.
"Total investment for the power sector during 2005-2010 is estimated at PKR1.1 trillion ($18.3 billion), including PKR445 billion from the private sector," Salman Shah, advisor to the prime minister on finance, told the forum.
The five hydropower projects are: the 4500 megawatt Diamer Basha Dam costing $ 6.5 billion; the 3600 MW Kalabagh Dam ($6.0 billion); the 600 MW Akhori Dam ($ 4.2 billion); the 740 MW Munda Dam ($885 million) and the 83 MW Kurram Tangi Dam ($327 million).
The government is also hoping to create savings of $7 billion a year by developing the nation's transport infrastructure, particularly railways, ports and highways, according to Syed Asad Shah, a member of the government's Planning Commission.
"The existing capacity cannot support 7%-8% sustained growth and needs new investment," Asad Shah told last week's conference.
-By Islamabad Bureau; (92) 300 501 3825; ahmed_ma1@hotmail.com
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/N...CQDJON200705020121DOWJONESDJONLINE000172.htm&
ISLAMABAD -(Dow Jones)- Pakistan is seeking help from international donors for projects worth up to $31 billion over the next eight years, including development of the transportation and power sectors.
At the three-day Pakistan Development Forum last week, representatives of donors including the World Bank and Asian Development Bank heard plans for $7 billion in road construction by 2014, $18 billion in major reservoir construction by 2010, $3 billion on the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline and $1 billion on the development of the port city of Karachi.
Donors formulate their plans for Pakistan largely on the outcome of the annual forum.
The government also unveiled a $2 billion, five-year development plan for tribal areas considered a hub of Taliban activities that have been destabilizing neighboring Afghanistan. U.S. aid agency USAID said at the conference it would contribute half the funds for the plan that seeks to alleviate the poverty that the government believes is breeding terrorism in the tribal areas.
In developing the country's water and power resources, he government is focusing on partnership with the private sector in five hydropower projects.
"Total investment for the power sector during 2005-2010 is estimated at PKR1.1 trillion ($18.3 billion), including PKR445 billion from the private sector," Salman Shah, advisor to the prime minister on finance, told the forum.
The five hydropower projects are: the 4500 megawatt Diamer Basha Dam costing $ 6.5 billion; the 3600 MW Kalabagh Dam ($6.0 billion); the 600 MW Akhori Dam ($ 4.2 billion); the 740 MW Munda Dam ($885 million) and the 83 MW Kurram Tangi Dam ($327 million).
The government is also hoping to create savings of $7 billion a year by developing the nation's transport infrastructure, particularly railways, ports and highways, according to Syed Asad Shah, a member of the government's Planning Commission.
"The existing capacity cannot support 7%-8% sustained growth and needs new investment," Asad Shah told last week's conference.
-By Islamabad Bureau; (92) 300 501 3825; ahmed_ma1@hotmail.com
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/N...CQDJON200705020121DOWJONESDJONLINE000172.htm&
