Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Reform, Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar chaired the meeting of Cabinet Committee on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on Friday. The meeting was attended by the members of the Cabinet Committee and secretaries of the federal ministries. The conveners of the Joint Working Groups on Energy, Infrastructure, Gwadar, Planning and Industrial Cooperation briefed the committee about the agenda of the forthcoming 08th Joint Cooperation Committee Meeting. The committee accorded approval to the agenda, composition of Pakistani delegation for the next JCC and its date of the meeting, fixed on 20th December 2018. The committee expressed satisfaction over inviting Chief Ministers of all the provinces to participate in JCC that would enable them to market their own industrial zones as well as negotiate their projects particularly new initiatives in the socio-economic development sector. The committee reviewed the progress on Pak-China industrial cooperation and instructed for a special focus on the promotion of this sector. The cabinet body gave the go-ahead to sign industrial cooperation framework with China and encourage Chinese investors to relocate their industries. The committee instructed to finalize a schedule for the groundbreaking of Rashakai Economic Zone at the earliest by removing all bottlenecks. The chair on the occasion said that present government has expended base of CPEC by including socio-economic development and agriculture sector. The committee advised to identify pilot projects in these sectors in consultation with the provinces and take up with the Chinese side. The committee reviewed the progress on Gwadar projects and instructed to complete all codal formalities for the early groundbreaking of Gwadar New Airport, Vocational Institute, Hospital and 300 MW Power Plant not later the 1st quarter of 2019. The committee discussed Transport Infrastructure Projects in detail including provincial as well as mass transit projects and instructed for developing a roadmap for Pakistan’s Railway Mainline-1. It was decided to seek finances for KKH Thakot-Raikot (Remaining Portion) and upgradation of D.I.Khan-Zhob (Phase-1) project of the Western Route. Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar said that the projects on the Western route are a priority of the government that would open and ensure uplift of less developed areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The Cabinet Committee on CPEC reviewed progress on energy projects and instructed for encouraging investment in hydel, Thar Coal and renewable projects in the future.
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