Скачать или смотреть PPP policy board approves several projects

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that public private partnership was playing an important role in the development of Sindh.” He was speaking while presiding over a Public Private Partnership Policy Board meeting here Tuesday.

The board discussed following projects under public private partnership (PPP) mode: Enhancing PPP (provincial support) project: Under the proposal a company `PPP project support facility’ (PSF) would be created to independently manage the viability gap fund (VGF) for achieving better value and improving risk management of VGF.

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There was a proposal to approve Rs550 million for the fund as per agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB). The policy board approved both the proposal.

Another project of Motor Vehicle Inspection Project (MVI) came under discussion. The project was approved in January 2015 for MVI and Certification system. For the project Transport & Mass Transit Department (TMTD) received only two bids and awarded the contract to a company to start the project.

The policy board approved post facto approval for awarding work to a private firm.
The policy board approved a scheme related to selection of bank for the Yellow Line project. Under the project the TMTD launched BRT System – yellow line project to design, build, finance, maintain and transfer of more than 26 km of corridor from Dawood Chowrangi to Numaish and Regal Chowk via 8000 Road, Korangi Road and FTC under PPP mode.
Under the project there would be 69 percent debt, 16 percent concessionaire equity and 15 Sindh government share.
The finance department requested the PPP policy board to accord approval for engaging the selected bank and proceeding for financial close.

The board approved the proposal. The policy board also considered the unsolicited proposal received from the Bahria Town for launching BRT Blue Line project.

The Blue Line project is 11.8km long from Gurumandir via Teen Hati, Dakkhana, Liaquatabad No. 10, Karimabad, Aysha Manzil, Water Pump, Yosuf Plaza, Sohrab Goth to Al-Asif Square.

The policy board approved to take up the project under PPP mode of procurement of investors solicitation. The board was told that a private firm, EcoBus has given an unsolicited proposal for operating electric air-conditioned buses for plying on all possible public transport routes within the city.
The firm has offered to import 50 buses in the first phase. The chief minister directed the transport department to send the proposal to the technical committee and seek their recommendations.
Once the recommendations are received the project may be brought into the policy board for necessary action. Another proposal for establishment of a modern vegetable, fruit, fish and meat market in Khairpur came under discussion.

It was pointed out in the meeting that Khairpur has a vast and most modern Special Economic Zone; therefore, the market may be constructed in another district headquarter.

The chief minister directed agriculture department to work out proposal and submit it to the next PPP policy board meeting. A Solar Dates Dehydration Project was also discussed.

The meeting was told that Khairpur district is famous for its date palm cultivation. Due to highly favourable agro-climatic geographical and geological conditions Khairpur produces almost 300 verities of dates. Pakistan produces 700,000 tons of dates and earn $18.450million and Khairpur is one of the major contributors.
It was pointed out that the existing post-harvest technology i.e., dryers, dehydrators and other processing methods are inadequate, outdated and result in substantial loss of dates in terms of quality and quantity.
The proposed development of solar dryers would help in drying a variety of dates under a controlled environment at relatively lower cost.

The board approved the proposal for hiring a consultant.

The meeting also discussed establishment of Dry Land Farming Research Institute Mithi for which the policy board proposed to connect it with some university.
Another important project which came under discussion was Lab-e-Mehran Tourism Development Project Sukkur. The meeting was told that Sukkur was the third largest city of Sindh located along the Indus River.

The city has a gifted advantage for having a long river front; however, the development of river front has long been neglected. The meeting was proposed that with an appropriate development, the river front can be turned into a major asset for the city which can improve quality of environment and life in Sukkur.

The policy board approved the proposal and directed concerned department (culture & tourism) to hire a consultant for the purpose. An Education Management Organization (EMOs) project was given approval for funding and project development by PPP policy board in 2014.

The first phase of awarding the contract of EMOs project was held in 2015 whereby management of four schools was handed over to the private partners.