ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar chaired a meeting to review various projects under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

Additional Secretary Ministry of Planning, Chief Executive Officer Public Private Partnership Authority (PPPA) Malik Ahmed Khan, and senior officials were present in the meeting.

During the meeting, the CEO briefed the minister on various administrative and operational matters of the PPPA. Ahmad also discussed the National Highways Authority (NHA) project particularly Sambrial-Khariyan Motorway on Build-operate-transfer (BOT)-basis under the Public-Private Partnership arrangements in collaboration with the NHA.

CEO Malik Ahmad said that Public-Private Partnership Authority (PPPA) collaboration with the NHA is seeking participation of qualified private sector parties to construct and operate 70km long 4-lane Sialkot Kharian highway on the PPP mode.

The commercial feasibility Study of the project has been completed by the NHA.

He said that they are also engaging development parties for transaction structure for the project, capable of offering value-for-money solution to the public sector, while allowing a viable structure for the private sector participation.

Minister Planning Asad Umar said that Sialkot-Kharian Motorway is an important project and it will go a long way in establishing the nation PPP programme and paving the way for more similar projects and transactions in the future.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021