An amount of Rs 459.7 million has been earmarked for 19 new and ongoing projects in the petroleum and natural resources sector during the year 2005-06, focusing mainly on exploration of minerals and training of human resources.
According to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), the major new exploration and training projects to be financed during the next fiscal year are: feasibility study for development and exploitation of Chechali iron ore and commissioning of Steel Mills at Kalabagh (Mianwali); replacement and enhancement of Hydro Carbon Development Institutes (HDIPs) and POL analytical facilities; establishment of CNG station at Peshawar; training programmes for systematic prospecting and mine development in small gemstone leaseholders of Hazara and Malakand divisions; training programme for scientific mining and processing of precious stones in Azad Jammu and Kashmir; training in gemstone mining; processing and evaluation of semi-processing stones in Azad Kashmir; training in gemstone mining; processing and evaluation on scientific lines to private sector in Northern Areas and basic training in gemstone cutting and polishing centres in Gilgit and Muzaffarabad.
The ongoing projects to be funded during the year 2005-06 are: construction of office and laboratories building for the GSP at Peshawar; exploration of Hangu and Karak coal deposits in NWFP; assessment of Coal Potential of Ghazij in Balochistan; oil and gas exploration in Balochistan; feasibility study on gassification of Thar Coal (Tharparkar, Sindh); feasibility study on coal gassification plant at Bhakkar; exploration of coal in Azad Kashmir; accelerated mineral exploration programme of GSP to identify new economic mineral deposits in the country; ground follow-up aeromagnatic anomalies in Chagai district (Balochistan) and systematic evaluation and appraisal of coal resources of four specific tracts in Thar coal field, Mithi (Sindh).
COMMERCE DIVISION:
The government has allocated an amount of Rs 120.5 million including Rs 20.5 million as foreign loan component in the PSDP 2005-06 for the ongoing and new projects under the commerce division.
The allocation has been made for one ongoing and three new projects to be completed at an estimated cost of Rs 770.9 million, including Rs 302.2 million of foreign loan component.
In the PSDP 2005-06, an amount of Rs 5.5 million (foreign loan) has been allocated for the ongoing Trade and Transport Facilitation Project Pakistan, to be completed at an estimated cost of Rs 211 million, including Rs 186 million as foreign loan.
Up to June 2005, an amount of Rs 180.5 million has been utilised as expenditures on the project, with a throw-forward of Rs 30.5 million as on June 30, 2005.
The allocation of Rs 115 million for new projects include Rs 100 million for construction of building for Pakistan School of Fashion Design at Lahore; Rs 10 million (foreign loan) for adoption of social accountability (SA-8000) and Rs 5 million (foreign loan) for institutional capacity building of National Tariff Commission (unapproved).
The above mentioned new three projects are to be completed at an estimated cost of Rs 404.7 million, Rs 116.2 million and Rs 39 million, respectively.