ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) at a meeting here on Thursday approved 53 projects of over Rs478 billion, with a foreign exchange component of Rs172 billion, in socio-economic sectors. The meeting, presided over by Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, also approved foreign-funded projects of Rs165.5 billion, with a foreign exchange component of Rs117 billion. Besides, seven flood rehabilitation projects of Rs64.5 billion with a foreign exchange component of Rs28 billion were also approved. Of the 53 projects, 31 relate to transport and communications, water and power, health education, industries and commerce. In the transport and communications sector, 22 projects were approved, including construction of Northern Bypass from Qasim Bela to Shershah Road Multan Bypass, with a grade separated bridge over 12.2km-long railway line; two-lane bridge over River Indus at Khushalgarh in Kohat district and rehabilitation of national highway network damaged by floods of 2010. The meeting revised the first phase of Gwadar port project and approved installation of a ship lift and transfer system and associated machinery and equipment to provide docking and repair facilities to surface ships, submarines and commercial vessels.In the health sector, the council approved two projects costing Rs26,983 million with a foreign exchange component of Rs14,195 million. This includes medical equipment and ambulances for District Headquarters Hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI). Other approved projects are upgradation of Expo Centre in Lahore, establishment of turbines and power plants equipment manufacturing facility at Heavy Mechanical Complex in Taxila, Kala Dhaka Area Development project, Sindh Flood Emergency Reconstruction project for bunds and canals, flood protection schemes, and restoration of canals and damaged structures. Planning Commission Secretary Suhail Ahmed briefed the meeting on the need for rationalising the portfolio in line with resource availability. He also emphasised the need for a balance between new and ongoing projects and full utilisation of available resources. The meeting was attended by federal ministers Syed Naveed Qamar, Dr Asim Hussain and Hina Rabbani Khar, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Dr Nadeem-ul-Haq and provincial finance ministers and senior officials.
