Islamabad: The federal government on Monday revealed that it had prepared a draft for granting more powers to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority, a news source reported. The draft proposes giving more financial, punitive, and administrative oversight to the authority, along with enshrining the role of the Prime Minister (PM) in its various affairs.
To this effect, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Dr Jehanzeb Khan conducted the first meeting of the all the government stakeholders to review the progress of the proposed CPEC Authority Bill 2020.
The meeting discussed the possible implications of the changes proposed for the CPEC framework agreement, which was signed between China and Pakistan more than five years ago. However, the officials concerned said that these changes were suggested to make the authority more effective for the implementation of multibillion-dollar projects.
According to details, the draft proposes the removal of the planning minister as the co-chairman of the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of the CPEC. It adds that the CPEC Authority’s chairperson would co-chair the JCC along with the vice chairperson of National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China. Other proposed changes include appointing a chief of staff for assisting the authority’s chairperson.
The stakeholders attending the meeting stated that Pakistan should consult China before making these significant changes. Meanwhile, the CPEC Authority Bill 2020 also suggested the elimination of the planning ministry’s administrative role and placement of the organisation directly under the supervision of the PM. However, the PM’s role would only be limited to as defined in the bill, sourced added. The government plans to provide the authority with the powers of conceiving, planning, and implementing CPEC projects.
The government has proposed a number of changes in the draft, which pertain to the CPEC Authority’s location, composition, powers, and functions.
