Chinese firm back on board with PSCA
The Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) will be able to resume using all the thousands of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed across the city after reaching an agreement for their repair with a Chinese company.
A deadlock between the PSCA and the foreign firm had reportedly been caused by the exchange rate of the dollar after rapid devaluation of the rupee.
Under the settlement reached between both sides, the Chinese company will be responsible to operationalise all the PSCA infrastructure as per the agreement.
The Punjab government will not have to pay any additional amount and the company will carry out the maintenance work at the previous dollar rate of Rs104 as per the initial agreement.
Chinese Consul General Zhao Shiren and Provincial Ministers, Punjab Home Adviser Umar Sarfraz Cheema, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Raja Basharat and Irrigation Minister Hashim Dogar were the chief guests on the occasion of the agreement signing, while acting Inspector General Kanwar Shah Rukh, Huawei Deputy CEO Ahmad Bilal Masud and other officials were also present.
PSCA Chief Operating Officer (COO) Muhammad Kamran Khan told the media that it was an achievement of the Punjab government and the authority to persuade the Chinese company to agree to the terms and withdraw its demands.
He said engineers from the firm would come to Pakistan and make the project fully functional in four months.
The COO said the Chinese company would provide all the necessary hardware and software for the project at its own expense.
He said all the issues between the PSCA and the company had been resolved, while the provincial cabinet had approved the agreement after detailed deliberations, including those in sub-committees.
Khan said the company would be responsible to bring innovation in the project as per the needs of modern technology and the PSCA would run it with a new commitment to fulfil public aspirations.
He said the PSCA was a national security project and a masterpiece of modern policing.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2022.