ISLAMABAD, May 16: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Friday approved 10 development projects worth Rs143 billion, including a major Rs41 billion reform initiative for the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). This move is set to help the government secure a $150 million loan from the World Bank, despite the project’s cost ballooning by over 225% from its original estimate.
The meeting, chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, cleared five projects worth Rs15.9 billion and recommended five major ones — totaling Rs127.1 billion — for final approval by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec).
Among the key projects was the FBR reform plan under the “Pakistan Raises Revenue Project.” Initially estimated at Rs12.5bn in 2020, the project cost surged due to delays, currency depreciation, and added components aligned with the prime minister’s transformation program.
Another highlight was the Rs27bn "CM Punjab Laptop Programme," aiming to distribute over 112,000 laptops to students across Punjab’s public sector institutions. Minister Iqbal directed coordination between HEC and the Punjab government to consolidate demand and attract laptop manufacturers to set up local plants.
Sindh’s projects referred to Ecnec included a Rs12.3bn school reconstruction initiative for areas hit by the 2022 floods, the Rs37.7bn Sindh Coastal Highway Phase II, and the Rs9.3bn dualisation of the Tando Allahyar–Tando Adam Road.
Other approved initiatives include a Rs1.6bn academic block for the National University of Pakistan, a Rs4.3bn medical college in Muzaffarabad, a Rs2.5bn IT research center in Peshawar, and a Rs7.4bn IT industry revamp plan.
Minister Iqbal emphasized that only performance-enhancing, nationally beneficial projects should be part of the Public Sector Development Programme. He also instructed the planning ministry to develop a mechanism for standardizing construction rates and ensuring thorough project scrutiny to prevent inflated costs.
