ISLAMABAD: Of Rs800 billion allocated for the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) in the budget, the Annual Plan for 2022-23 envisages concessional financing agreement for a multi-billion dollars ML-1 project under CPEC to be finalised in the second quarter of the fiscal. Subsequently, arrangements will be made for the ground-breaking of the project.
Construction work on the new Gwadar International Airport is underway and likely to achieve CoD by October 2023. The Annual Plan for 2022-23 states that the second phase of CPEC is well underway, with an emphasis on industrialisation and development of Special Economic Zones (SEZs), agriculture modernisation, science and technology cooperation, promotion of ICT-enabled environments and establishment of IT & High Technology Zones, and socio-economic development. The overall goal is to reap the benefits of the first phase (2015-20) investment, which has created an enabling environment for investment in the other sectors by mostly filling the existing infrastructure and energy gaps.
The 10th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) has several deliverables that have been identified by all the stakeholders. On the western alignment, Zhob-Quetta Section is under construction whereas the DI Khan-Zhob Section is under discussion with the Chinese side for financing and expected to be launched in FY2022-23. The G2G Joint Working Group (JWG) on transport infrastructure has been notified to prepare proposals of Realignment of Thakot-Raikot Section during 2022-23. The concessional financing agreement for landmark ML-1 project is to be finalised in the second quarter of 2022-23, and subsequently, arrangement will be made for ground-breaking of the project. The construction work on New Gwadar International Airport is underway and likely to achieve CoD by October 2023. The new projects proposed for inclusion in the CPEC framework in the 10th JCC meeting include DI Khan-Peshawar Motorway (365km), Swat Expressway Phase II (82km) and Dir Expressway (26km).
Six energy projects within installed capacity of around 3,284MW are currently under construction, out of which 720MW Karot Hydropower and 330MW Thar Energy Ltd are expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of FY2021-22.
The 330MW Thal Nova, 320MW Thar Block-I and 884MW Sukkhi Kinari HPP are expected to be completed in FY2022-23. Work on 1,124MW Kohala, 700.7MW Azad Pattan HPP and 300MW Gwadar Coal Power Project will start in FY2022-23.
To make Gwadar a smart port city, development of a port and allied infrastructure, operationalisation of free zone and implementation of Gwadar Master Plan along with other social sector projects are under way.
The Pak-China Friendship Hospital is expected to complete in November 2022 while work on 1.2 MGD Desalination Plant has commenced with the target to complete it in early 2023.
In addition, the following projects are expected to be launched in 2022-23:
(i) Construction of Breakwater, (ii) Dredging of Breathing areas and Channels,
(ii) (iii) Gwadar Smart Environment Sanitation System and Landfill project for Gwadar, (iv) Construction of Boat making industry on Gwadar West Bay, and (v) 5 MGD Desalination Plant in Gwadar.
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