The Executive Committee (EC) of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has expressed frustration with the ministries’ handling of decisions, claiming that delays and half-hearted implementation of instructions obstruct progress. In its recent meeting, the EC criticised ministries for not adhering to SIFC’s directives in full, despite the decisions being binding under the SIFC Act, Business Recorder reported.
The committee expressed concerns over the lack of urgency in obtaining approvals for key documents, such as summaries, due to insufficient follow-up by the relevant ministries.Â
To address this, the EC issued instructions for the parent ministry responsible for initiating summaries to ensure that the entire approval process, including stakeholder consultations, is expedited. The committee emphasized that no further delays would be tolerated in the future.
The SIFC-EC also discussed the ongoing LPG and Liquid Chemical Terminal project at the Port Qasim Authority (PQA). It was noted that PQA had signed multiple agreements with the terminal’s operator, EVTL, and that a final proposal had been submitted following extensive discussions and reviews.Â
The EC approved the extension of the concession term for the project by another 30 years and urged the Ministry of Maritime Affairs (MoMA) to fast-track the approval summary for submission to the Federal Cabinet.
Regarding the navigation channel dredging project, Port Qasim Authority informed the committee that the tender documents had been published, and the bid submission date was set for April 7, 2025. The project is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2025, with completion slated for 2027.Â
The committee instructed the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Port Qasim Authority to conduct a case study to identify the causes of past delays in dredging and to implement measures to prevent future hold-ups.Â
Both ministries were urged to adhere to the project’s timeline and avoid any further setbacks.
