KARACHI: The Public Private Partnership (PPP) Policy Board in its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah here on Friday took important decisions pertaining to nine development projects being taken into hand under PPP mode of investment.
Out of those development projects, six were already being implemented under the PPP mode of investment, two newly placed for the purpose and one was discarded from PPP mode of investment to independent power project (IPP).
The most important decisions among the projects already placed PPP mode of investment were given approval to preferred bidder (an international transport organization) as selected developer for launching "Inter City Bus Transport" project and ply buses from Karachi to each divisional headquarters of the province by inducting 100 new buses at an estimated cost of Rs 2 billion including Rs 645 million from Sindh Government side.
While the other most important decisions was far outsourcing of the bus operational and fare collection components each for the BRT's Green Line Bus and Orange Line Bus services to be executed and launched in the Karachi city.
Provincial Minister for Finance Syed Murad Ali Shah, Minister for Transport Mumtaz Jakhrani, Minister for Woman Development Ms. Rubina Qaim Khani, Chief Secretary Sindh Saleem Sajjad Hotiana, Secretary Finance Sohail Rajput, Secretary Transport, Secretary Special Education and other officers of lined department and members of PPP Policy Board attended the meeting.
The Chief Minister said that the people of the urban and rural areas are facing difficulties for in absence of low fare but standard transport facilities. Keeping in view hardships of the people, the Sindh Government conceived two separate development projects each for launching modern communication facilities in urban area like BRT system for people of Karachi and Inter City Transport Project from Karachi to each divisional headquarters.
However, the Chief Minister asked the officers, to conduct independent study and workout the mechanism for having reasonable fare system.
The meeting was informed that the Federal Government intended only to lay down the infrastructure for the Green Lines Bus Services at the cost of Rs 16 billions whereas the cost on the operational and fare collection components would be borne by Sindh Government. The policy board approved the recommendation on the agenda for out sourcing the operational and fare collection components for both entities Green line and Orange line bus services already being executed by Sindh Government.
During the discussion for strengthening the Motor Vehicle inspection wing, it was informed in the meeting that recently this wing has been transferred from Sindh Police to the Transport Department in a faulty condition. Neither it has equipment nor trained manpower to ascertain or check the condition of vehicles consequently these unfit vehicles are causing fatal accidents, said Secretary Transport.
The board also approved recommendations each for outsourcing 15 schools of Special Education and 3 from Normal Education System by hiring the services of renowned educational organizations not only to raise the quality education but also for capacity building of the teaching faculties.
Similarly talking on the subject for rationalizing Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas dual carriage toll tax, the policy board also agreed with the decisions of the Sindh Government for contributing first 25% short fall in the current fiscal year instead of existing 10%. The government should gradually decrease its contribution to 15% by 2020 to meet short fall in toll tax collection by the developer. Under this decision Sindh Government has to pay an amount of Rs 410.627 million to facilitate the people of the area.
The PPP policy board also agreed with the decision to approve the additional cost of Rs 280 million occurred on the extension works incurred on the increasing length of Jhirk-Mula Khatiar bridge on Indus river from 1038 meters to 1700. Similarly the board approved the additional scope of consultancy work of NESPAK for BRTs Yellow Line, Orange Line and Green Line.
The Chief Minister concluded the meeting saying that Sindh Government was undertaking mega development project under ADP but is also executing many other development projects under the innovative idea of PPP mode of investment to facilitate the people on one side and to ensure participatory approach of development on other. He said that US, UK and other countries from western region were also taking keen interest for contributing in the development specially in the Health and education sectors. He asked the officers to remain in contact with representatives and diplomats of these countries and get help from them for improving services of their organizations.
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