ISLAMABAD – Chinese state owned company has responded over Rs 70 billioncorruption allegations in mega CPEC project of Sukkur-Multan Motorway.
A state-owned Chinese firm has rejected corruption allegations of billionsof Rupees made by the Federal Minister for Communication Murad Saeed lastweek.
The minister had claimed to have discovered mismanagement of funds of Rs.70 billion in the Sukkur-Multan motorway under the China-Pakistan EconomicCorridor (CPEC).
The Chinse Company said it was shocked to learn about the allegations.
“China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd [CSCEC] feelsextremely shocked by the recent groundless allegations made publiclythrough the media against the Sukkur-Multan motorway project, undertaken byour company,” an official press release reads.
In its reply, CSCEC said,
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We have profound respect for Pakistan and its people. In the spirit ofwin-win cooperation and benefiting the Pakistani people, we have beencarrying out our business activities and all of our operations fully incompliance with Pakistani laws and regulations.
It further explains that the corporation had inked an MoU with Pakistan inJuly 2013 which envisages a motorway connecting Karachi with Lahore.
The firm claims that it was a one-year, non-binding document which expiredin July 2014. The bidding process started in June 2015 and the MoU –already outdated – had no influence over the bidding process.
The CSCEC’s rejoinder claims it won the bidding for being the lowest bidderand maintained that “it is common in the international construction fieldfor there to exist differences between the cost estimate provided in thefeasibility study report and the bid price.”
