ISLAMABAD - The National Assembly was informed on Thursday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has accorded approvals to 11 projects since coming to power.Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and Development Kanwal Shauzab told the house during question hour that 11 national level projects relating to water, energy and communication have been approved by the ECNEC, which though located in one province but will benefit the whole country.In energy division, Sindh Solar energy project with a cost of Rs12445.73 million while Evaluation of power from Suki Kinari Kohala and Mahil HPP in northern areas with a cost of Rs79929.73 has been approved.
Dargai Hydro Electric Power station worth Rs4050.364 has also been accepted.Diamer Bhasha dam project with cost of Rs5686 million, and Balochsitan Water Resource Development has also been granted.Government of KP projects, Peshawar Sustainable Bus Rapid Transit corridor project of Rs66,437 million and Dualization of Mardan-Swabi road, worth Rs9,550 million has been approved.Land acquisition for dualisation of Khuchlac-Zhob section, amounting Rs3232 and construction of N-50 kuchlac-Zhob section has been granted. A $986.29 million emergency plan for polio eradication has also been accepted.The Punjab Police Integrated command control and communication centre Lahore worth Rs17520.408 has also been sanctioned.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan told the house that Pakistan Steel Mills will not privatised but it will be revived. He said Pakistan Steel Mills, PIA, Radio Pakistan, PTV and Pakistan Post are national assets.
Khan said government want to privatise two RLNG plants, two banks, Jinnah Convention centre, Lakhra Coal Development Company and residual shares of Mari Petroleum limited, in first phase. Answering another question he vowed that an international level research university will be constructed at the PM House as per the announcement made by the Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Makhdoom Zain Hussain Qureshi informed the house that a domestic resource mobilization program will be launched from 1st of July with the aim to broaden the tax base.He said this program of four hundred million dollars will be financed by the World Bank. Minister for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs responding to a query said the net increase in domestic loans during August 2018 to January 2019 was Rs1,514 billion while foreign public loans registered net decrease of $635 million during the same period. The domestic debt increased by Rs1,437 billion, borrowing around Rs7.9 billion per day, since September 2018 until February 2019.
However, the external public debt decreased by $229 million, which is, retirement of around $1.3 million per day, during the same period.