QUETTA – The Balochistan government has planned to introduce tax and duty amnesty scheme for national and foreign investors to attract massive investment in port town of Gwadar.
Provincial Minister for Planning and Development Dr Hamid Khan Achakzai said this while addressing a press conference along with Planning and Development Additional Chief Secretary Nasibullah Bazai, here on Tuesday.
The minister said work on several uplift projects pertaining to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Balochistan was underway. “Work on Zhob-Mughal Kot N-50 and Qila Saifullah Road N-70, Gwadar-Hoshab and Hoshab-Sorab N-85 was underway,” he said, adding that those road projects would be completed before and by 2018, respectively.
He said that work had been started on Rs 14.06 billion project of East Bay Express from Gwadar to Karachi along coast adding that Rs 4.70 billion were allocated in PSDP 2015-16. He said that a sum of Rs 0.138 billion were allocated for road projects including Gwadar-Karachi, Gwadar-Basima and Basima-Jacobabad-Khuzdar, adding that 1.01 billion were being released in this regard.
He said the government had achieved 95 per cent target in implementation of 2250 uplift schemes of Provincial Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2015-16 and 140 development projects of Federal PSDP 2015-16 and said that departmental action would be taken against officials if the PSDP funds were lapsed.
He said that Rs 54.5 billion provincial PSDP 2015-16 had 2250 schemes including 940 ongoing and 1310 new ones. He said that Rs 19.5 billion were allocated for ongoing schemes and Rs 31.57 billion for new projects. “About 95 per cent funds for ongoing schemes had been released within seven months,” he said, adding that 97 per cent PC-1 of new uplift schemes had been approved and 95 per cent of funds allocated for them have been authorised,” he said.
He said that Rs 44 billion Federal PSDP for Balochistan had 140 development schemes, adding that 102 federal PSDP schemes were being executed by the federal agencies and 38 by provincial departments. “About 60 per cent of funds earmarked for federal PSDP schemes for Balochistan have been authorised and remaining 40 per cent would be authorised soon,” he said.
The additional chief secretary said that 98 per cent progress in implementation of federal PSDP projects had been achieved. He said that Rs 440 million was allocated for 88 schemes of Millennium Development Goal. “Around 87 PC-1 of Millennium Development Goal schemes were made and 50 progresses in this regard has been obtained,” he said.
He said that multi donors had increased financial assistance for foreign funded projects of Balochistan from $70 to 90 million which would be part of upcoming provincial budget. He said that with the cooperation of World Bank and Asian Bank, several water projects worth billions of rupees had been completed. He said that under the prime minister’s package for Quetta, Rs 05 billion were allocated which would be utilised for execution of projects of flyovers, by passes and under passes in the provincial capital.
He said that requirement of water for Quetta city would be met with water supply from Pat Feeder Canal and water dams. He said that PM’s National Health Insurance Programme had been initiated in four districts of Balochistan on experimental basis, adding that Rs 250,000 and Rs 50,000 would be born by the federal and provincial governments, respectively, in connection with expenses on medical treatment of a poor patient.
He said that missing facilities were being provided to 900 state-run schools. “Three new medical colleges, as well as three new universities, seven cadet colleges and five residential colleges were being constructed while 800 primary schools have been upgraded to middle and 400 middle schools to high schools,” he said.
He said that 486 small dams had been constructed with 50 balances and a project of 100 dams was part of PSPD-2015-16. He said that new Provincial Budget of Balochistan would have 5000 check dams and 600 live Karez in 32 districts of the province.
