ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan was on Thursday told that the Chinesegovernment and companies were keen to invest $ 3 billion in the Ravi Cityproject in Lahore and that the investment did not include any kind of loan.

Besides, he was informed, that ANGCC – a Global Investment Consortium, hadalso offered to invest $ 5 billion in the project on partnership basis.

The prime minister, who was presiding over a meeting of the working groupof Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Authority (RUDA) and Pakistan IslandsDevelopment Authority (PIDA), was told that in order to further speed upthe progress on the Ravi City project, a board had been constituted andwork on the project would start in January.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Information and BroadcastingSenator Shibli Faraz, Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi,Special Assistant to the PM on Political Communication Dr Shehbaz Gill,Naya Pakistan Housing Authority (NPHA) Chairman Lt Gen. ® Anwar Ali Haiderand Deputy Chairman Maj Gen ® Ameer Aslam Khan, and Pakistan IslandsDevelopment Authority Chairman Imran Ameen.

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, Advisor to the Punjab Chief Minister Dr SalmanShah, Special Assistant to the Punjab CM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, RUDAChairman Rashid Aziz, Punjab chief secretary and senior officers concernedalso attended the meeting through video link.

The prime minister stressed that Ravi City, being an unprecedented andfirst of its kind mega project, would address the increasing problems ofLahore.

Its completion would not only provide the facilities of potable water,appropriate sewerage, clean environment and modern housing to the citizensof Lahore, but also help create job opportunities and develop local andnational economy, particularly the industries through huge foreigninvestment.

About Pakistan Islands Development Authority, the prime minister was toldthat the environmental and master plan studies would start in January.

Besides, he was told that in partnership with the non-governmentalorganizations (NGOs) a programme was being formulated to ensure employmentof fishermen related with the Islands and for the protection of maritimehabitat. Imran Khan, while expressing his satisfaction over the progressmade on the Bundle Islands, stressed that all stakeholders would be takenon board for the success of the project.