ISLAMABAD: A Chinese-led joint venture has won all four packages of Tranche-III of the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Corridor Project, securing the contracts in a transparent bidding process and saving a total of Rs13.24 billion.
The joint venture is led by M/s Ningxia Communications Construction (NXCC) with local partners M/s Rustam Associates and M/s Dynamic Constructors.
The project, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), aims to expand N-55 between Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Dera Ismail Khan, converting the existing two-lane highway into a four-lane carriageway.
This initiative is expected to significantly improve connectivity and regional trade routes.
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National Highways Authority (NHA), in line with the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, ensured transparency in the procurement process. After properly addressing all concerns, the financial bids were opened, leading to a fair and competitive selection process.
The financial evaluation of the bids showed that the NXCC-led joint venture secured the contracts with clear cost advantages. The difference between their bids and the second-lowest bidders was Rs 1.4 billion for Lot-1, Rs 2.4 billion for Lot-2, Rs 2.3 billion for Lot-3, and Rs 7.1 billion for Lot-4.
The significant cost savings, along with the timely completion of the procurement process, highlight the efficiency of the current administration.
The NHA is already working on Tranche-I and Tranche-II of the CAREC Corridor Project. Under Tranche-I, a 66.37 km section between Petaro and Sehawan is 98 percent complete, being built by M/s Xinjiang Beixin Road and Bridge Group, while a 43.4 km section between Ratodero and Shikarpur is 43 percent complete, constructed by a joint venture of M/s TIEC and Umer Jan.
Tranche-II comprises four lots, including road segments between Shikarpur and Rajanpur, being constructed by firms such as M/s ZKB and M/s CCECC, with progress ranging between 14 percent and 23 percent.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
