Housing, construction, development: PM forms national coordination committee

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday constituted the National Coordination Committee on Housing, Construction and Development in order to coordinate and facilitate the government's policy to promote construction and development-related activities especially affordable housing projects for the low-income segment of the society as envisaged in the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme (NPHP).

The committee, constituted with immediate effect, would meet twice a week (Tuesday and Friday); however, the convener may increase the frequency of meetings as required. Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority (NAPHDA) chairman would be the convener of the committee, and secretary housing and works, secretary planning, secretary finance, secretary power or his representative, secretary petroleum, secretary law and justice, SBP deputy governor, to be nominated by the centeral bank governor, chief secretaries, Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, AJ&K, and the Gilgit-Baltistan, FBR chairman, CDA chairman, chief commissioner Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), NAPHDA deputy chairman, member/secretary of the Committee or their representatives not below BS-21 grade would be members of the committee.

The convener may co-opt any other person from public/private sector including heads of housing and development authorities, representatives/stakeholders from the construction industry etc as member of the committee, on required basis, and the secretarial support to the committee would be provided by the NAPHDA.

The Terms of Reference (ToRs) of the committee included: (i) to assess the demand and supply situation of housing in general and affordable housing in particular; (ii) periodically review the progress of different housing and construction-related initiatives in all the provinces/across the country; (iii) identify impediments in way of growth of housing and construction activities with concrete recommendations / directions for their removal to relevant entities; (iv) to coordinate and issue instructions to redress the grievances related to housing and construction initiatives in the country including but not limited to various permissions, NOCs and provision of utilities; (v) to make required decisions and issue instructions to the relevant ministries/divisions/ departments and organisations, and monitor progress implementation; (vi) to monitor and facilitate timely processing and approvals of housing, construction and development projects; (vii) to act as focal point for inter-province, inter-ministerial, interdepartmental and inter-agency coordination for all housing, construction and development-related policies and initiatives across the country.

The convener shall brief the prime minister twice a week on impediments, recommendations for improvement and overall progress in implementation of the prime minister's policy guidelines.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020