The Planning & Development Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is launching China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Cell (CPEC Cell) which will act as a liaison and coordination between federal and provincial governments.
As per an official document, the cell will be founded with an estimated cost of Rs. 162.794 million.
Of which, Rs. 69.204 million were assigned during the previous fiscal year whereas Rs. 93.590 million have been earmarked during the Annual Development Program?2022-23?and this balance will be released during this year.
The proposed CPEC Cell will work as a center for intervention, besides liaison and coordination between the federal and provincial governments. The Cell will also be tasked to pursue provincial projects at the federal level to be included in the CPEC portfolio and remove bottlenecks.
Moreover, the cell will arrange training and visits both locally and abroad associated with CPEC and will play a proactive and preventive role in resolving related issues through forehand preparation.
Rashakai prioritized Special Economic Zone (pSEZ) is a leading project under the industrial cooperation of the CPEC framework. In addition to pSEZ, Hakla-D.I. Khan Motorway (M-14) and KKH Phase II, the Suki Kinari Hydropower Project is being established under CPEC.
The government of KP is looking forward to including numerous projects in CPEC, so the role of the CPEC Cell becomes important to pursue such projects.?
KP government further announced a historical budget of Rs47.8 billion for the road network under CPEC. The road projects under the KP budget 2022-23 comprise the construction of Swat Motorway Phase-II and starting practical work on Dir and D.I Khan Motorway.
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has also approved the construction of its flagship project Swat Motorway Phase-II under the Public Private Partnership Model.
Finance Minister Taimur Salim Jhagra said that the construction of these motorways will start this year to stimulate tourism and communication.