LAHORE: Senior provincial minister Maryam Aurangzeb has said that he will set an example in Punjab by running public-private partnership on a global scale.
Speaking at the first investment conference, Maryam Aurangzeb said that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz held a meeting on public-private partnership, which is a real model of Punjab, as soon as she assumed office. He has issued instructions to improve the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model from the beginning.
Maryam Aurangzeb said that the economy of Punjab is worth 2.25 billion dollars. The GDP of 33 countries of the world is less than Punjab. For the sake of national development, Punjab’s Public Private Partnership will be designed one step ahead of other countries. In this regard, the work of comparing the amendments in the framework and evaluating the impact on each sector has been completed.
He said that like in the past, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif is determined to work on the road network under the vision of PML-N leaders Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif. Under the Public Private Partnership, energy, urban development, social sector, industry etc. will be made feasible for public benefit by keeping the stakeholders in confidence by bringing them within the constitutional framework.
The senior provincial minister said that it is the vision of the Chief Minister of Punjab that public-private partnership should be run in Punjab like the rest of the world, the final framework in this regard will be made in a meeting chaired by Maryam Nawaz. Pakistan’s first public-private partnership will be launched in Lahore. Islamabad Motorway was done by Mian Nawaz Sharif.
He said that Public Private Partnership is being brought in the Federation and Punjab. Ministry of Planning is working for this. We are creating a case study that will be useful for other provinces as well. Its final draft will incorporate feedback from investors and developers.
Maryam Aurangzeb said that PML-N faced criticism regarding infrastructure and road network in the country. In 2017-18, many public welfare projects were slowed down. Due to the closure of the projects, not only the public but also the national exchequer was damaged to the tune of billions of rupees.
Addressing the ceremony, Provincial Minister for Construction and Communications Malik Soheb Ahmed Bharat said that the Punjab government has worked very hard during 2 months under the patronage of the Chief Minister. Private investors are being roped in to improve road infrastructure. It will remove the concerns of developers and investors. He said that people do not want to invest with the government, but now the situation has changed.
The conference was attended by Chamber of Commerce, Public Private Partnership Authority, private investors and developers as well as representatives of the banking sector and businessmen and presented their proposals.
