Private sector takes charge of capital’s decor

Civic body seeks bids from interested firms

RAWALPINDI:

The Islamabad administration has decided that the work of decorating and lighting government buildings on the arrival of foreign leaders and VVIP personalities to Pakistan as well as on the occasion of national religious festivals will be awarded permanently to the private sector.

Government buildings from the New Islamabad Airport to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and the VVIP buildings across Islamabad will be decorated and lit on special occasions. The assignment will include installing flags beginning with the celebration of Pakistan Day on March 23.

After this decision and approval, the Metropolitan Municipal Corporation Islamabad asked for formal tender offers from big companies for the decoration of Islamabad on March 23.

According to this decision the decoration and lighting will be required on the occasions of Pakistan Day on March 23, Kashmir Black Day, Independence Day on August 14, Pakistan Defence Day on September 6, Eid Milad-un-Nabi, the arrival of VVIP delegations in Islamabad and the visits of foreign leaders.

The decorations are supposed to be arranged from Islamabad Airport to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, while on national festivals, the entire Islamabad will be decorated with colourful lighting, flags, cultural floats, Panaflex banners and beautification of roads.

The private companies will be paid the decoration rent for three days. All the equipment, lighting and flags will be arranged by private companies while slogans and pictures for the big hoarding boards will be provided by the administration.

The company that wins this contract will require security clearance for all its employees.

This security clearance will be approved by the Islamabad Police Special Branch.

The company that will be decorating the capital for March 23 will be awarded the contract on March 19. The administration will provide the company with a complete list of the areas that are to be beautified.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2024.