ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) was held at Prime Minister’s Office with the Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar in chair.
ECNEC in its meeting considered nine projects related to agriculture, education and training, health and nutrition, energy and water having different costing details.
ECNEC approved “Sindh Agricultural Growth Project” at a total cost of Rs.8,867.463 million. The project is closely related with sectoral issues and would improve the productivity of agriculture, horticulture and livestock sector in Sindh Province.
The Forum also approved “Capacity Building of Teachers Training Institutions and Training of Elementary School Teachers project in Punjab” at a total cost of Rs.3137.752 million that would extend provision of quality education as one of the objectives of the MTDF 2005-10, besides providing quality teacher education in the Punjab Province. The ECNEC directed that other provinces, most specifically Balochistan, may also bring similar projects for consideration of the competent forum on need basis.
It also approved “KPK Government’s Project titled Integration of Health Services Delivery with special focus on EPI and Lady Health Workers Programme” and other allied sectors relating to nutrition, advising a committee comprising Secretaries Finance, Planning, IPC and Chief Secretary KPK to work out consensus on period of financing during or beyond currency of 7th NFC Award. ECNEC directed the Planning and Development Division to seek guidance of CCI in case any modification is needed.
“Nutrition Support Programme Project” in Sindh (NSP) was also approved at a total cost of Rs.4117.90 million including a prospective IDA loan component. The project focuses improvement of health facilities, capacity building and strengthening of mother and child nutrition and health status as part of national MDGs.
ECNEC approved in principle “Jamshoro Supercritical Units using blends of sub-Bituminous Coal and Domestic Lignite coal fired Power Project”, advising that CDWP observations on technical and financial details be worked out in consultation with all federal government stakeholders followed by necessary modifications where needed.
ECNEC approved “PESCO’s Distribution of Power (DOP) and Distribution Rehabilitation plus Energy Loss Reduction Projects” at a total cost of Rs.25062.56 million, dilating hundred percent financing by the originating and executing agency. ECNEC directed Ministry of Water and Power to raise partial loan for PESCO support in consultation with Ministry of Finance where needed. Both the projects shall focus better power provision facilities to new consumers by putting in place low transmission and heavy transmission lines in PESCO system. This would further upgrade technical infrastructure to be arranged at proposed new sites and would help in providing the basic minimum service to the end users. Both the projects would also improve the existing distribution network and reduce the overburdened power distribution system with proper planning and management within the PESCO jurisdiction.
It also approved Ministry of Water and Power’s project titled “Evacuation of Power from 1000MW Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park at Lal Suhanra”, District Bahawalpur at a total cost of Rs.4066.73 million. The project will reduce the power shortage in the country with the help of solar power generating plants through NTDC power transmission network.
ECNEC also approved “PAEC’s Acquisition of Land, Development of some basic facilities for Nuclear Power Plant Project” at Muzaffargarh at a total cost of Rs.1679.504 million, directing Ministry of Water and Power to consult NEPRA about future determination of civil-nuclear energy’s upfront tariff
taking into consideration all technical and financial details relating local and foreign component.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Pervez Rashid, Provincial Finance Ministers and senior officials of the Federal and Provincial Governments.
