New Delhi: China-Pakistan Economic Corridor of $ 60 billion (CPECAccording to a media report on Sunday, the total is running behind schedule with only three out of the 15 projects.
So far, Pakistan has completed only three CPEC projects in India Gwadar The Express Tribune newspaper reported that it was worth $300 million.
A dozen projects worth up to $2 billion remain unfinished, including water supply and electricity generation, according to CPEC authorization,
The ambitious CPEC is a 3,000-km stretch of infrastructure projects linking China’s northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and the Gwadar port in the western Pakistan province of Balochistan.
India has protested in front of China regarding CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
As per the progress review, the CPEC authority stated that all the works relating to socio-economic benefits in Gwadar are running behind schedule.
The completed projects are the $4 million Gwadar Smart Port City Master Plan, the physical infrastructure of Gwadar Port, the construction of the Free Zone Phase-I at a cost of $300 million, and the Pak-China Technical and Business Institute built with a $10 million Chinese grant.
Presently, the Gwadar port area does not have its own power generation and water supply source. The port area imports its electricity from neighboring Iran.
China funding
According to the original plan, China was supposed to finance 90% of the CPEC, but this has not ended.
CPEC projects include laying of pipeline from Swad Dam Shaadi Kure Damo To increase the water supply in the port. However, these works are far from being completed. The projects should have been ready by 2017. In its documents, the project is shown as funded by the federal government.
$179 million Eastbay Expressway – Connecting the port to the free zone – was due to be completed a year ago, but remains “99% complete”. China has provided interest free loan for this scheme. The CPEC authority expects the project to be completed by June.
New Gwadar International AirportAccording to the CPEC authority, what should have been completed a few years back is “36 per cent complete”. China is providing a grant of $230 million for this project. Barely 20 per cent work has been done on the $100 million Pak-China Friendship Hospital, Gwadar.
Pakistan plans 300MW Gwadar power plant to provide door-to-door electricity. But the report showed that barely 3% of the work on the plan was done.
The power project was grappling with problems due to the Imran Khan-led government’s failure to clear Rs 300 billion dues to Chinese power plants, which were already operational. It closed the 1,980MW sugar plant.
distasteful
Last month, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal passed orders to initiate the process of abolition of the CPEC authority, saying it was an “unnecessary organization” that wasted resources and thwarted the speedy implementation of the regional connectivity programme.
On 8 May, he said that “enemies of the country wanted to destabilize the country as they were creating problems in the way of successful completion of game-changer CPEC projects”. Iqbal said the previous PTI regime did not pay heed to the CPEC, but the new PML-N government led by Shahbaz Sharif was committed to early completion of projects.
CPEC has been on the back-burner during this period. Imran Khan The government however has recently started functioning after Khalid Mansoor was brought on board as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on CPEC matters.
(with inputs from agencies)
So far, Pakistan has completed only three CPEC projects in India Gwadar The Express Tribune newspaper reported that it was worth $300 million.
A dozen projects worth up to $2 billion remain unfinished, including water supply and electricity generation, according to CPEC authorization,
The ambitious CPEC is a 3,000-km stretch of infrastructure projects linking China’s northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and the Gwadar port in the western Pakistan province of Balochistan.
India has protested in front of China regarding CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
As per the progress review, the CPEC authority stated that all the works relating to socio-economic benefits in Gwadar are running behind schedule.
The completed projects are the $4 million Gwadar Smart Port City Master Plan, the physical infrastructure of Gwadar Port, the construction of the Free Zone Phase-I at a cost of $300 million, and the Pak-China Technical and Business Institute built with a $10 million Chinese grant.
Presently, the Gwadar port area does not have its own power generation and water supply source. The port area imports its electricity from neighboring Iran.
China funding
According to the original plan, China was supposed to finance 90% of the CPEC, but this has not ended.
CPEC projects include laying of pipeline from Swad Dam Shaadi Kure Damo To increase the water supply in the port. However, these works are far from being completed. The projects should have been ready by 2017. In its documents, the project is shown as funded by the federal government.
$179 million Eastbay Expressway – Connecting the port to the free zone – was due to be completed a year ago, but remains “99% complete”. China has provided interest free loan for this scheme. The CPEC authority expects the project to be completed by June.
New Gwadar International AirportAccording to the CPEC authority, what should have been completed a few years back is “36 per cent complete”. China is providing a grant of $230 million for this project. Barely 20 per cent work has been done on the $100 million Pak-China Friendship Hospital, Gwadar.
Pakistan plans 300MW Gwadar power plant to provide door-to-door electricity. But the report showed that barely 3% of the work on the plan was done.
The power project was grappling with problems due to the Imran Khan-led government’s failure to clear Rs 300 billion dues to Chinese power plants, which were already operational. It closed the 1,980MW sugar plant.
distasteful
Last month, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal passed orders to initiate the process of abolition of the CPEC authority, saying it was an “unnecessary organization” that wasted resources and thwarted the speedy implementation of the regional connectivity programme.
On 8 May, he said that “enemies of the country wanted to destabilize the country as they were creating problems in the way of successful completion of game-changer CPEC projects”. Iqbal said the previous PTI regime did not pay heed to the CPEC, but the new PML-N government led by Shahbaz Sharif was committed to early completion of projects.
CPEC has been on the back-burner during this period. Imran Khan The government however has recently started functioning after Khalid Mansoor was brought on board as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on CPEC matters.
(with inputs from agencies)