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Cabinet body seeks proposal on electricity import from Iran
ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Committee on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on Friday sought a detailed proposal regarding the import of electricity from Iran to specifically meet the future needs of Gwadar. Briefing the media about the proceedings of the meeting of the cabinet committee held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Special […]
ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Committee on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on Friday sought a detailed proposal regarding the import of electricity from Iran to specifically meet the future needs of Gwadar.
Briefing the media about the proceedings of the meeting of the cabinet committee held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Special Assistant and Spokesperson to Prime Minister Musadik Malik said the participants discussed the CEPC projects in detail including power and water supply, construction of Gwadar airport, free port, extension of the port and development of the Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
He said the committee had asked the ministry concerned to furnish the proposal in the coming weeks for import of the electricity from Iran for Gwadar.
He said though Pakistan had already been importing a minor chunk of electricity from Iran, but on a barter basis, to avoid the violations of the international sanctions imposed on Iran.
To a question, he said Pakistan was ready to complete the gas pipeline project with Iran provided the international sanctions on Iran were lifted.
He said the government had tackled the power crisis efficiently and the country would become power surplus shortly.
Malik said that China had provided a grant worth Rs 22.25 billion for construction of Gwadar International Airport and the preliminary design of the project had been completed. The work on the project would start by mid next year and would take another three years for completion.
He said the government would also hold first global expo in Gwadar to promote investment in the country.
He said the government was also making a strategy to end the dependence on rainwater in Gwadar and had sought proposals in this regard to execute long term project to cope with water needs.
He told media that nine SEZs would be established representing all federating units including Gilgit Baltistan and AJK.
He said the government had announced five-year exemption from custom duty for the parties developing the SEZs and 10-year exemption for the industries to operate there provided they started functioning before June 2020.
He said the government had installed a gasification plant of 600 million cubic feet capacity within 11 months. “Another plant will be inaugurated within a couple of days,” he said.
To a question, Malik said that the finance minister was under treatment abroad, the prime minister was looking after the affairs of his ministry.
The spokesperson said the government would continue taking stringent measures to ensure security of the CPEC as various elements were poised to foil this gigantic project.
He said that the Joint Cooperation Committee on CPEC was scheduled to meet on November 21 that would take up the long term projects under the CPEC besides discussing all relevant issues.
He said that the Gwadar Port was being extended and three multipurpose berths would be added to the facility.
He said after the National Assembly had passed the electoral reforms bill, a constitutional crisis had been averted besides putting to rest the rumors of the national and technocrat government. Informing the media about the prime minister’s engagements during this week, the spokesperson said the National Security Committee had discussed in details about the security situation of the country with particular focus on CPEC and the aftermath of recent terror wave in Quetta and Bajaur.
Published in Daily Times, November 18th 2017.
