National Highway Authority (NHA) has prepared a National Highway Development Sector Investment Programme and negotiating for a loan of dollars 770 million from Asian Development Bank. This project will be completed with the total cost of rupees 966.80 million.
THE SOURCES AT NHA MENTIONED THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE THREE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
(i) Improvement of road sector efficiency on main transport corridors in Pakistan. (ii) Support regional co-operation by removing or relaxing physical, institutional and other barriers to improved transportation and increased trade and the (iii) Institutional capacity building of NHA.
Commenting over the Project Location, sources stated the project will cover National Highway Improvement / Rehabilitation: N-25, Hub-Uthal, Balochistan; N-70, Multan-Muzaffargarh, Punjab; N-50, Khanozai-Mughal Kot, Balochistan-NWFP; N-35, Hasan Abdal-Manshera, NWFP; N-65, Sukkur-Jacobabad, Sindh; N-80, Tarnol-Jand, Punjab and N-70, Qila Saifullah-Wiagum Rud, Balochistan.
Institutional Strengthening is another objective of this project. Senior Transport Specialist Allan Lee explained that under that proposed project, all consultants would be selected and recruited through a firm using quality- and cost-based selection method, in accordance with the ADB's Guidelines on the 'Use of Consultants' and other arrangements satisfactory to ADB for engagement of domestic consultants.
The project will require consulting services to assist NHA in (i) project management, (ii) construction supervision, (iii) policy reforms and institutional strengthening of NHA. International consulting firms in association with domestic firms will be recruited in about five contract packages. An estimated 408 person-month of international and 5,243 person-month of domestic consulting inputs will be required. Domestic specialists for resettlement and environmental monitoring will be engaged individually. About 72 person-month consulting inputs will be required.
All civil works contracts (about 9 contract packages) will be procured in accordance with ADB's Guidelines for Procurement following international competitive bidding procedures. Civil works contracts will have an estimated value from dollars 24 million to dollars 92 million, and will be executed in three phases, each with 24 to 36 months' period.
Supply contracts with values of more than dollars 500,000 will be procured under international competitive bidding procedures, with values between dollars 100,000 to 500,000 and for less than dollars 100,000 will be procured through international shopping and direct purchase arrangements, respectively, he concluded.
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