PM promises swift completion of stalled Chinese projects
- 1,320MW Thar Coal Power Project had been delayed for the past few years
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked his Special Representative Zafaruddin Mehmood and Additional Secretary Nadeem Chaudhry to support the Chinese company, Shanghai Electric, for early completion of the Thar Coal Project.
A Chinese delegation led by President of Shanghai Electric Liu Ping met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and informed that the 1,320MW Thar Coal Power Project had been delayed for the past few years, but work had been expedited due to support provided by the government.
The prime minister was informed that the project would be completed in the first quarter of 2023. More than 7,000 local people were provided employment due to the project.
The meeting was also informed that Shanghai Electric was deeply interested in further investment in power generation, transmission and distribution in Pakistan, which was welcomed by the PM. The president of Shanghai Electric thanked the PM and his team for their support for the completion of the project.
The PM said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was playing an important role in the development of Pakistan and the welfare of its people.
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“The entire nation is thankful to President Xi Jinping and the Chinese leadership for helping Pakistan in every difficult phase,” he said, adding that because of Chinese cooperation and investment, Pakistan’s infrastructure, development of public transport and power crisis had been lessened to a large extent.
He further stated that the ongoing development projects with Chinese cooperation would not be allowed to be delayed any longer and the government was taking serious steps to increase cooperation and investment with Chinese companies. All necessary steps were being taken to protect engineers and workers of Chinese companies, added the prime minister.
The premier regretted that the Thar Coal Power Project, which should have been completed a long time ago, was deliberately delayed by the incompetence of the previous government. With its completion, it will be possible to supply 1,320MW of electricity from local coal to the public very soon.
The meeting was attended by former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Federal Minister for Electricity Khurram Dastgir Khan, Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik, special assistants, Zafaruddin Mahmood, Dr Jahanzeb Khan, and concerned senior officials.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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