Infrastructural development: Govt all set to amend K-P Public-Private Partnership Act, 2014

Has given approval to make changes in five sections of the law

PESHAWAR: The provincial government is all set to amend the K-P Public-Private Partnership Act, 2014 and plans to make changes in five sections of the legislation. The provincial cabinet gave the green signal to the changes in the law during a meeting held a few days ago.

As per a document available with The Express Tribune, the changes pertain to the removal of a schedule appended to the act. This schedule defines the names of sectors for infrastructural development in which the government may concede contracts. This, in turn, gives liberty to government departments to enter into concession contracts under the public-private partnership in every sector.

The proposed amendments will make changes in Section 9 of the act, which explains the applicability of the act in sectors in which government department may concede contracts.

The amendment substitute Subsection 2 of the provision and adds a third subsection. As per the amended Subsection 2, it is mandatory for contracting authority or government entity to seek the approval of the chief minister for projects costing more than Rs300 million if wants to carry them out through public-private partnership. However, for projects involving cost less than Rs300 million, the contracting authority should decide itself the mode of its implementation under the act.

Furthermore, Subsection 3 exempts projects involving only the leasing of state land from the ambit of this act. The document read, “Irrespective of the cost, the projects in which leasing of only state land is involved shall be dealt with in accordance with the lease policy of the K-P government issued from time to time.”

Meanwhile, with the new amendments, the chief executive officer of the Provincial Board of Investment and Trade should be appointed the member of Public-Private Partnership Committee.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1^st, 2016.