Planning Minister directs expediting work on CPEC projects

ISLAMABAD: Following the successful third Belt and Road (BRI) forum 2023 held in Beijing, Caretaker Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Muhammad Sami Saeed on Tuesday visited the CPEC Secretariat and directed to expedite work on the ongoing projects.

During the visit, the minister got a detailed briefing on the projects being executed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and passed necessary directives to step up the pace of the work, a news release said.

The meeting was attended among others by the Secretary of the Planning Ministry, the CPEC Project Director and the officials concerned.

The CPEC Project Director gave a comprehensive briefing regarding the progress related to the completed and ongoing projects, besides areas highlighted in the BRI Forum.

The third BRI Forum-2023 was held in Beijing from October 17 to 18 in which Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar had represented Pakistan.

The forum focused on Research and Innovation, Communication, Science and Technology, Industry, Agriculture, Energy, Tourism and other areas. The second Phase of CPEC has already started as both countries have been celebrating the decade of CPEC.

During the meeting, the minister emphasized the importance of new areas including Agriculture, Science & Technology, and Information Technology.

The minister said CPEC played a vital role in transforming Pakistan’s economic landscape while highlighting new areas like agriculture, Science and technology, and Information Technology.

Sami Saeed said there was a huge potential in the new areas which needed to be explored. During the meeting, it was further highlighted the establishment of special economic zones (SEZs) and the increased investment by Chinese companies in various sectors.

This collaboration has not only promoted industrialization in Pakistan but also created job opportunities and boosted the country’s export capacity.