Delays in foreign-funded projects: Senate body expresses its reservations

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs on Thursday expressed reservations over long delays in foreign-funded projects, called for transparency in procurement and timely completion of development projects, and grilled the National Highway Authority (NHA) over serious financial and contractual lapses by paying approximately Rs 5 billion as a mobilisation advance for the CARIC Lodhran–D. I. Khan section. The committee meeting held here under the chairmanship of Senator Saifullah Abro reviewed the ongoing foreign-funded projects, particularly water and wastewater schemes in Punjab, the 765kV Dasu-Islamabad Transmission Line Project and the Communications Sector CAREC Tranche-III Project, and raised questions over prolonged delays, procurement procedures, consultant selection, project implementation and the availability of senior officials to brief the parliamentary forum. The committee members received a detailed briefing by the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) officials on ongoing and upcoming foreign-funded projects in Punjab being implemented by the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) in collaboration with multilateral and bilateral development partners and UN agencies. The briefing was to cover projects from 2008 to date, including proposals, tendering processes, submitted bid securities, performance guarantees, mobilisation advance guarantees, implementation progress, expenditure incurred, and interest paid by the provincial government. The committee was briefed on ongoing foreign-funded projects and specifically examined the Extension of Water Resources for Faisalabad City Phase-II, with a capacity of 30 million gallons per day (30 MGD). The committee was informed that the scheme had been approved in 2019. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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