The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) onWednesday approved Pakistan Optical Remote Sensing Satellite (PRSS-02)project of SUPARC.
A meeting of ECNEC, presided over by Adviser to the Prime Minister onFinance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin, approved the project worth Rs.27,913.567 million which will help in building of an indigenous capacity inthe fields of space/satellite technology and its applications.
The project will also help in institutional capacity building of SUPARCOand promote high-tech R&D activities in the country and contribute inacquisition of self-reliance in satellite technologies in Pakistan.
ECNEC also approved Sambrial–Kharian Motorway project submitted by Ministryof Communication, along with directions to NHA to present progress ondevelopment of business model to ECC. The project envisages construction of69km long, four lane wide Sambrial- Kharian Motorway with structures to beconstructed for 06 lanes.
Approval was also given to the New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) 2ndrevised project. The 2nd revised project envisages construction of NGIAalong with allied facilities over a piece of land already acquired. NGIAwill replace the existing airport at Gwadar which has small terminalbuilding with limited capacity. The new airport will be suitable for biggeraircrafts like Airbus A-380 and Boeing -747 & 777 for international anddomestic services.
The committee also approved the project of Ministry of Energy on ADB FundedAdvanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) in IESCO, with directives to startthe project without any delay as a pilot project and include other electricsupplying companies.
ECNEC also approved the position paper for amendments in the ECNECdecision, 2004 and for approval of Self-Finance Development Schemes ofdistribution companies/entities, submitted by Ministry of Energy.
The Remodelling of Warsak Canal System in Peshawar and Nowshera districtsworth Rs. 16,695.81 million was also approved by the committee.
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The committee also approved Higher Education Development in Pakistan (HEDP-revised) project by HEC worth Rs. 12,782 million financed by WorldBank. The project activities will be executed throughout Pakistan. TheECNEC also considered a project Pak University of Engineering & EmergingTechnologies (PUEET) Phase-I (Knowledge Economy Initiative) of HEC with acost of Rs. 23.54 billion.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement Project (KPCIP) worth Rs. 97,146million was also approved by the committee. KPCIP will improve the qualityof life of the residents of five KP cities including Abbottabad, Kohat,Mardan, Mingora and Peshawar directly benefitting about 6 million urbanpopulation.
The committee also approved the construction of 10th Avenue from IJP roadto Srinagar Highway Islamabad at a total cost of Rs. 12.139 billion. Theproject would be executed in two phases and would be completed in twoyears’ time.
The committee deferred the decision on Greater Thar Canal Project withdirections to relevant stakeholders, both at federal and provincial level,to reach a consensus amongst themselves prior to its resubmission to ECNEC.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives AsadUmer, Federal Minister for Industries and Production Makhdoom KhusrooBakhtiar, federal secretaries and other senior officers from federal aswell as provincial governments participated in the meeting.
