Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is the most important partner of Sindh government in development of the province. “Out of Rs28.8 billion foreign assisted projects, the ADB share is 31.6 per cent.”
He said this while talking to a high powered ADB delegation led by its Vice President (Operation) Mr Wencai Zhang. The other members of the delegation were Country Director Mr Werner E Liepach, Advisor to Senior Vice President Mr Huiping Huang and Senior Economist Ms Farzana Noshab. The chief minister was assisted by Chief Secretary Siddique Memon, Principal Secretary Alamuddin Bullo, Additional Chief Secretary (Dev) Mohammad Waseem, Secretary Finance Sohail Rajput and others.
The chief minister said the Sindh government with the assistance of ADB had launched three important projects – enhancing public-private partnership (PPP), Sindh roads improvement project and Sindh cities improvement programme – at the cost of Rs 11.945 billion.
He said there were some promising projects in the province in which the assistance of ADB was needed. They are Karachi Harbour road and bridge, desalination plants, mass transit project, poverty alleviation Keti Bander, energy sector (coal and wind power) and irrigation projects.
ADB VP Mr Wencai Zhang said that he had visited KPT and harbour area. “It quite important to have a bridge and road connecting the harbour with Norther Bypass and Lyari Expressway,” he said, and added that this would reduce the burden of heavy and commercial traffic from the city.
He expressed his keen interest to expedite red-line Rapid Bus Transport (RBT) System with a regular ride of 650,000 passengers. “We would not only establish redline project but would finalise integration system of different RBTs for the convenience.
The ADB VP agreed with the chief minister that Karachi needs a latest desalination plant to meet water requirement of the city. He appreciated the start of K-IV bulk water project but said even then Karachi needed extra water for residential and commercial purposes.
Mr Wencai said that he had visited Port Qasim and Korangi Industrial Areas. “They are not only beautiful in the sense of planning and development but most important in terms of their location near highways.” He urged the Sindh government to establish another industrial corridor keeping in view the under-construction China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. “You have to take maximum benefit from the project and you must design your future industrial parks and cities,” he suggested. On this, the chief minister urged him to assist the Sindh government to envisage and work out the new projects as suggested by the vice president ADB.
The ADB VP also showed keen interest in Keti Banadr project for which the chief minister told him that it was an ancient port and still the site was fit for developing an international seaport. The chief minister told him that the Sindh government had approved some schemes to develop infrastructure at Keti Bander. Mr Wencai said he would study the Keti Bander site and hoped it would be great opportunity for public-private partnership.
He said he would also explore the opportunities to invest in wind and solar power energy projects.
ACS (Dev) Mr Waseem briefed the visiting delegation about the focus of Sindh government on the rural development. “There are vast opportunities to develop agro-based economy, agriculture, health and energy sectors.”
The Sindh government and the ADB agreed to sit together next month to discuss all the development opportunities and start a new partnership of developing urban and rural Sindh.
