Metro Bus projects for Karachi, Islamabad included in PSDP
Rs10 billion have been allocated for the first phase of the projects.
The projects have been placed under the Planning and Development Division. The initial Rs10 billion allocation is part of the division’s Rs25.5 billion development budget, according to the documents. HOTO: ONLINE
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led federal government has included Metro Bus Service projects for Karachi and Islamabad in the next fiscal year’s proposed development programme.
A total of Rs10 billion have been allocated for the first phase of the two projects which are aimed at fulfilling the party’s promises to the voters. The PML-N, during its campaign, promised to introduce a modern bus service on the pattern of the Lahore Metro Bus in Karachi, Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
According to official documents, the Planning Commission (PC), which is currently finalising the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for 2013-14, has included the notional price of Rs30 billion each for Metro Bus Karachi and Metro Bus Islamabad-Rawalpindi. The proposed projects are part of PSDP, which will be tabled before the National Economic Council (NEC), to be headed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, before being presented to Parliament for approval.
According to PC officials, the notional prices were set just to
create heads in the new plan. They maintained the actual price of the projects will be determined after the completion of feasibility studies. The allocation of Rs10 billion (Rs5 billion each) for the initial phase of the two projects is also flexible and can be increased depending on the government’s priorities, they added.
The projects have been placed under the Planning and Development Division. The initial Rs10 billion allocation is part of the division’s Rs25.5 billion development budget, according to the documents.
PSDP tackles infrastructure projects that are fully or in some cases largely funded by the federal government using its own resources. However, it is not yet clear whether the federal or provincial governments will bear the cost of the Metro Bus projects, or if the cost will be shared between them. The Lahore project was funded by the provincial government using its own resources.
The Rs30 billion notional price was also derived from the cost of the Lahore Metro Bus project. On average, the Lahore project cost Rs1 billion against every kilometre of the project. The cost of buses was not included in the Rs30 billion.
According to an official the Asian Development Bank has already completed the pre-feasibility study of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad project. No work has been done on the Karachi project, however.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 7th, 2013.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led federal government has included Metro Bus Service projects for Karachi and Islamabad in the next fiscal year’s proposed development programme.
A total of Rs10 billion have been allocated for the first phase of the two projects which are aimed at fulfilling the party’s promises to the voters. The PML-N, during its campaign, promised to introduce a modern bus service on the pattern of the Lahore Metro Bus in Karachi, Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
According to official documents, the Planning Commission (PC), which is currently finalising the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for 2013-14, has included the notional price of Rs30 billion each for Metro Bus Karachi and Metro Bus Islamabad-Rawalpindi. The proposed projects are part of PSDP, which will be tabled before the National Economic Council (NEC), to be headed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, before being presented to Parliament for approval.
According to PC officials, the notional prices were set just to
create heads in the new plan. They maintained the actual price of the projects will be determined after the completion of feasibility studies. The allocation of Rs10 billion (Rs5 billion each) for the initial phase of the two projects is also flexible and can be increased depending on the government’s priorities, they added.
The projects have been placed under the Planning and Development Division. The initial Rs10 billion allocation is part of the division’s Rs25.5 billion development budget, according to the documents.
PSDP tackles infrastructure projects that are fully or in some cases largely funded by the federal government using its own resources. However, it is not yet clear whether the federal or provincial governments will bear the cost of the Metro Bus projects, or if the cost will be shared between them. The Lahore project was funded by the provincial government using its own resources.
The Rs30 billion notional price was also derived from the cost of the Lahore Metro Bus project. On average, the Lahore project cost Rs1 billion against every kilometre of the project. The cost of buses was not included in the Rs30 billion.
According to an official the Asian Development Bank has already completed the pre-feasibility study of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad project. No work has been done on the Karachi project, however.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 7th, 2013.