8th JCC On CPEC To Meet On December 20 In Beijing

The 8th meeting of Joint Coordination Committee on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be held from December 20 in Beijing.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Dec, 2018 ) :The 8th meeting of Joint Coordination Committee on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be held from December 20 in Beijing.

This was informed in a meeting of newly formed Cabinet Committee on CPEC held here Friday under the chairmanship of Minister for Planning, Development and Reform, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar.

The meeting was attended by the members of the Cabinet Committee and secretaries of the Federal ministries.

The conveners of the Joint Working Groups on Energy, Infrastructure, Gwadar, Planning and Industrial Cooperation briefed the Committee about the agenda of the forthcoming 8th Joint Cooperation Committee's meeting.

The Committee accorded approval to the agenda, composition of Pakistani delegation for the next JCC.

The Committee expressed satisfaction over inviting the Chief Ministers of all the provinces to participate in JCC that would enable them to market their own industrial zones as well as negotiate their projects particularly new initiatives in the socio-economic development sector.

The Committee reviewed the progress on Pak-China industrial cooperation and instructed for a special focus on the promotion of this sector. The Cabinet body gave the go-ahead to sign industrial cooperation framework with China and encourage Chinese investors to relocate their industries. The Committee instructed to finalize a schedule for the groundbreaking of Rashakai Economic Zone at the earliest by removing all bottlenecks.

The Chair on the occasion, said that the present government has expended base of CPEC by including socio-economic development and agriculture sector. The Committee advised to identify pilot projects in these sectors in consultation with the provinces and take up with the Chinese side.

The Committee reviewed the progress on Gwadar projects and instructed to complete all codal formalities for the early groundbreaking of Gwadar New Airport, Vocational Institute, Hospital and 300 MW Power Plant not later the 1st quarter of 2019.

The Committee discussed Transport Infrastructure Projects in detail including provincial as well as mass transit projects and instructed for developing a roadmap for Pakistan's Railway Mainline-1. It was decided to seek finances for KKH Thakot-Raikot (Remaining Portion) and upgradation of D.I.Khan-Zhob (Phase-1) project of the Western Route.

Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar said that the projects on the Western route are a priority of the government that would open and ensure uplift of less developed areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The Cabinet Committee on CPEC reviewed progress on energy projects and instructed for encouraging investment in hydel, Thar Coal and renewable projects in the future.