- Sindh govt signs MoU with Belgian investment agency
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday said that the federal government had not released even a single penny to meet the expenditures of the targeted operation launched in the city under the National Action Plan (NAP).
This he complained while talking to Standing Committee of Senate on Interior Chairman Senator Rehman Malik here at the Chief Minister’s House.
He said that the federal government had vowed to share financial burden incurred on targeted operation, but not a single penny had been released so far.
“This has exerted extraordinary burden on the provincial exchequer,” he said and urged Malik to discuss this matter with his committee. “I am ready to brief the committee about the expenditures the provincial government has sustained,” he said.
Malik assured the chief minister that he would table the matter with the committee and discuss it so that the burden of the provincial government could be eased.
The chief minister also said that the federal government had not given a proper share for China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects to Sindh.
He said that the provincial government is giving proper security to the CPEC projects and even looking after the security of the Chinese working on the non-CPEC projects.
In the meeting, they also discussed security issues, particularly of the CPEC projects.
MoU BETWEEN SINDH GOVT, BELGIAN INVESTMENT AGENCY SIGNED:
Separately, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Sindh government and Belgium state agency, Wallonia Export-Investment Agency was signed for the promotion of trade, investment and joint working on PPP mode in Sindh.
On behalf of Sindh government, Sindh Board of Investment Director Azeem Uqaili and on behalf of the Wallonia Export-Investment Agency, Pascale Delcomminette signed the MOU. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Ambassador of Belgium Frederic Verhedin also witnessed the signing ceremony.
The chief minister told the trade delegation, led by Ambassador of Belgium Frederic that Sindh was seriously working on adopting new cropping patterns under which low-water crops would be sown. “In this sector, Sindh and Belgium traders can work on PPP mode,” he said and added that there was a huge potential in corporate cattle farming in Sindh. This sector has a huge potential to give reasonable returns, he said.
The visiting trade delegation showed interest in renewable energy, urban water supply for Karachi and BRT. It was decided that the traders of Belgium and Sindh Board of Investment would sit together and explore the avenues for investment.