ISLAMABAD – Cabinet Committee on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor hasdecided to perform ground breaking of an important phase of Western Routeof the corridor later this month.
This was stated by Minister for Planning and Development Makhdoom KhusroBakhtiar while briefing media about the committee’s decisions in Islamabadtoday.
He said the step would mitigate the sense of deprivation of the peopleliving along the Western Corridor. He said sixty per cent work onHakla-Dera Ismail Khan Section of the corridor has already been completed.
The Minister said the government is also focusing on connecting the missinglinks in the Eastern Corridor and in this connection work onSukkur-Hyderabad Section will be started in the next six to eight months.
Khusro Bukhtiar said the committee ruled out diversification of funds fromCPEC projects because all sectors under the corridor have been included inSustainable Development Goals. He said that the twenty-eight billion dollarworth of projects are presently under implementation with the cooperationof China.
He said the committee specially specified six sectors for development underCPEC, including agriculture, education, health, poverty alleviation, watersupply and sanitation.
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The minister said the Chinese government has decided to release one billiondollars for these projects in the next three years and half of the amountwill be spent during the first year.
Planning Minister said agriculture is a priority area under CPEC and a teamof Chinese experts will soon visit Pakistan to identify areas fordevelopment of food processing so as to boost agricultural exports.
He said the cabinet committee also decided to perform ground breaking ofGwadar International Airport this month.
He said the committee also decided to set up CPEC Business Forum at theearliest.
