Pakistani delegation reaches Beijing to attend CPEC's annual meeting

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development, and Reform Makhdoom Khusro Bakthiar along with a delegation have arrived in Beijing on Tuesday to participate the 8th meeting of Joint Coordination Committee on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to be held on December 20.

Chairman Board of Investment Haroon Sharif, and high officials from provincial and federal governments are also part of the delegation.

The delegation led by the planning minister would review progress on projects in various sectors including socio-economic development, industrial cooperation, transport, energy and Gwadar port.

In this connection, Khusro Bakhtiar also met with head of Export-Import bank of China and discussed matters of mutual benefits.

During the meeting, the both sides agreed to continue cooperation in future.

The minister for planning expressed the government of Pakistan's desire to launch new projects with partnership of Exim bank.

With cooperation of the Chinese Exim bank work on several projects including Multan-Sukkur motorway, Korakaram highway and other CPEC projects was going on at a rapid pace, he said adding the government was also taking measures to increase exports and to overcome the challenge of current account deficit besides taking structural reforms to promote Pakistan's manufacturing sector, facilitate entrepreneurs and to boost exports.

Khusro Bakhtiar said the government was planning to include some new projects in the next development budget which would be helpful in implementing the proposed reforms.

Further, he said the government wanted to complete the port, highway and railway projects on built and transfer basis.

The government, he said was also fully focused on implementable projects in oil and gas sectors.

The minister said in future, "We will launch such projects which would pave the way for enhancing the country's economic growth rate and economic benefit."

The Exim bank's head said that with regard to investment, Pakistan had become the top trading partner of Exim bank.

He said the projects under CPEC would help achieving Pakistan's economic goals. projects under transport sector including.