Minister urges speedy work on Gwadar plant

Said supply of electricity is essential in Gwadar and no delay will be accepted

ISLAMABAD:

Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal directed the authorities concerned on Tuesday to expedite the construction work on the Gwadar Power Plant. The minister issued these directives while chairing a meeting to review the progress of the Gwadar Power Plant. The meeting was attended by ministry officials, the Managing Director of the Private Power Infrastructure Board (PPIB), the Chinese Minister-Counsellor Yang Guangyuan, and other relevant stakeholders, as per a news release.

The PPIB is processing the 300MW coal power project at Gwadar, being developed by M/s CIHC Pak Power Company (Pvt) Limited (CPPCL). The project holds paramount importance for the energy infrastructure and economic development of the region and is on the ‘priority list’ of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). “The supply of electricity is essential in Gwadar and no delay will be accepted,” said the minister, directing the concerned stakeholders to remove all bottlenecks and start the construction work immediately.

Read Iqbal directs expediting work on Gwadar Power Plant

Referring to Gwadar as ‘the gateway of CPEC,’ the minister noted that the incumbent government had expedited the implementation of phase 2 of the CPEC while integrating it with five new economic corridors. “The development of Gwadar Port City, New Gwadar International Airport, and East Bay Expressway is poised to transform the city of Gwadar into a maritime trade hub and a new smart port for the region. It will also lead to industrialisation in Balochistan,” he added.

Expressing confidence in the projects under CPEC in Gwadar, including the Gwadar Power Plant, distribution of 2000 Boat engines to fishermen of Gwadar, Khuzdar-Panjgur Transmission line, New Gwadar International Airport Project, the China-Pak Friendship Hospital, among others, the minister envisioned them as a shining pearl in the region. APP

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2024.

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