Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Planning Minister Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to expedite the construction work on the Gwadar Power Plant.
The minister passed the directives while chairing a meeting to review progress of the plant. The Private Power Infrastructure Board (PPIB) is processing the 300MW coal power project at Gwadar, being developed by M/s CIHC Pak Power Company (Pvt) Limited (CPPCL).
The project is in the ‘priority list’ of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and holds paramount importance for the energy infrastructure and economic development of the region.
Earlier, Pakistan and China agreed to establish a Working Group (WG) on five new economic corridors under the second phase of Chine-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), aligning with the 5Es framework prepared by the Planning Ministry.
This agreement came during a meeting between Federal Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal and Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong at the Planning Ministry, lasting over an hour.
Chinese envoy Jiang Zaidong congratulated Ahsan Iqbal on assuming the role of Planning Minister for the fourth time. Both sides agreed to expedite phase two of the CPEC and decided to establish a working group on five new economic corridors, including the Corridor of Job Creation, Corridor of Innovation, Corridor of Green Energy, and Inclusive Regional Development.
The Planning Ministry and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China would prepare separate concept papers on the new economic corridors, providing a clear road map for each sector.
“These concept papers will be consolidated before presentation at the upcoming Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting expected in 2024,” stated the Planning Ministry.
