Five development projects worth Rs15.9 billion approved, five referred to ECNEC for consideration

The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) cleared ten development projects with a total cost of Rs143 billion. Of these, five projects, amounting to Rs15.9 billion, were given final approval, while five major projects worth approximately Rs127.1 billion were referred for the review of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).

The CDWP meeting held under the chair of Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal and was attended by Secretary Planning Awais Manzoor Sumra, Chief Economist, VC PIDE, other Planning Commission members, the Chief Economist of the Planning Commission, federal secretaries, heads of provincial planning and development (P&D) departments, and senior representatives from relevant federal ministries and provincial governments.

The CDWP approved a project in the Education and Training sector, titled “Construction of Academic Blocks of National University of Pakistan, Islamabad (New)” worth Rs1.6 billion. 

The forum also approved a project related to the environment titled “Formulation of National Urban Strategy and Guidelines to Reduce the Impact of Urban Flooding, Droughts, Climate Disasters, and National Guidelines for Spatial Planning Considering Climate Change/Disaster Risk in Pakistan (New)” with a budget of Rs106 million.

The CDWP also approved the “IT Industrial Innovation, Research Center and Strengthening of Islamia College University, Peshawar (Revised)” project, amounting to Rs2.45 billion, and the “Revamping IT Industry Landscape (New)” project worth Rs7.43 billion, which focuses on skill development, ecosystem growth, and strategic branding in the IT sector.

Furthermore, the CDWP forwarded projects such as the “Investment Projects Financing (IPF) Component of Pakistan Raises Revenue Project (Revised)” worth Rs40.76 billion and the “CM Punjab Laptop Program (Revised)” worth Rs27 billion to ECNEC for further consideration.

Additionally, the forum referred the “Construction/Reconstruction of Existing Schools in Sindh Affected by Rain/Flood 2022 (Revised)” worth Rs12.34 billion and the “Establishment of Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad Farooq Shaheed Medical College Muzaffarabad AJK and Kashmir Medical College Muzaffarabad (Revised)” project worth Rs4.34 billion to ECNEC for further consideration.

The CDWP also referred two transport projects—the “Extension/Construction of Sindh Coastal Highway Phase II (36 km) (Revised)” worth Rs37.72 billion and the “Dualization of Tando Allahyar – Tando Adam Road (31.40 km) (Revised)” worth Rs9.28 billion—to ECNEC for final approval.

While chairing the meeting, Ahsan Iqbal reaffirmed the government’s commitment to Pakistan’s development and economic growth. “Despite the challenges we face, our dedication to the country’s progress remains absolute. We will not allow anything to derail our development agenda or compromise the welfare of our people,” he stated.

The minister emphasised the importance of strategic planning, instructing that only those projects be included in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) that enhance institutional performance and contribute meaningfully to national development. 

He also emphasised aligning the PSDP portfolio with the URAAN Pakistan priorities, ensuring continuity in ongoing projects, and exploring new initiatives.

Ahsan Iqbal directed the Planning Ministry to develop a mechanism for notifying construction rates for highway and building projects, reflecting the accurate cost of construction. He further instructed that sponsoring departments ensure thorough scrutiny of projects to prevent inflated costs.

He also directed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Government of Punjab to coordinate on laptop procurement, consolidating demand for the next four years and inviting leading laptop manufacturers to set up plants in Pakistan.