KARACHI - Construction work on the Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas dual carriageway will be completed in the next month and President Zardari is likely to be requested for its inauguration.This was informed during the seventh meeting of the Sindh Public–Private Partnership Policy board held at the at Chief Minister’s House, with Syed Qaim Ali Shah in the chair. Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said the present government, under the suggestions and guidance of President Asif Ali Zardari, adopted the concept of Public-Private Partnership Policy and formed a board for the betterment and development of the Sindh province. He said that the joint venture project with the Engro Pakistan Ltd at a block in Thar coal field was also progressing, while similar schemes would also follow. The PPP Policy board discussed a 9-point agenda and took decisions on all issues and items. Confirming the minutes of its 6th meeting, the board approved the concession agreement of Jhirak-Mulla Katiar bridge project in its entirety and empowered the Works and Services Department secretary to sign the agreement on behalf of the government of Sindh. The board was informed that the Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas dual carriageway project would be commissioned by the June end this year and that the M/s Deokjae Construction Co, the concessionaire, was in the process of negotiating an equity injection with the Korean Express Way. The Sindh government has also weighed the option of injecting equity into the project based on the increased traffic flow by itself. The board approved injection of Rs550 million as equity into the HMDC project. With regards to the Hyderabad-Badin road project, the PPP Policy board was informed that in the first phase, only the road will be dualised between Hyderabad and Tando Muahmmad Khan. After some time, the next phase of dualisation could be implemented. The board approved the new structure for the Hyderabad-Badin road project that encompassed only dualisation of road from Hyderabad to Tando Muhammad Khan. About the Karachi-Thatta (National Highway) dual carriageway project, the board was informed that the National Highway Authority had handed over the Karachi-Thatta road dual carriageway project to the Works and Services Department. Also, the government has started preparatory work on the project, besides initiating a investor-solicitation, aimed at improving accessibility to Thatta district, feed Karachi’s traffic into BadinThe Sindh chief minister directed that a feasibility report be prepared for the purpose and the project be undertaken under the PPP mode. The board also approved the foreign exchange investment policy for PPP projects in Sindh, viability gap fund guidelines and allowed exemption so that PPP initiatives could be allowed at the administrative departments or at the local government level. It also approved the capacity development budget for the PPP unit and PPP nodes.The chief minister said that the road from Hyderabad to Mirpurkhas, and Mirpurkhas to Digri were already constructed, while the road from Digri to Islamkot was to be constructed. He said that until and unless, infrastructure was not provided, no investors could come for participation in development projects.