Dar directs IPDF to come up with clear ideas on doable projects

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Finance, Mohammad Ishaq Dar here on Saturday directed the Infrastructure Project Development Facility (IPDF) to come up with clear ideas on doable projects in both energy and infrastructure development sectors.

The minister chaired a meeting of IPDF to discuss professional functioning of the Facility and get a briefing on doable projects in energy and infrastructure development.

In the detailed presentation IPDF team explained that Public Private Partnership model can be put in place in energy and infrastructure development sectors of the country on Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model.

They said that there is huge potential in these sectors and if properly employed it can not only save valuable foreign exchange for the country but would also generate economic activity in the country.

The IPDF Chief Executive Officer, Adil Anwar presented comparative study of Karachi-Lahore Motorway, Deep Sea Jetty and a number of energy related projects on PPP model.

The Finance Minister said that IPDF must come out with clear ideas on doable projects in both energy and infrastructure development sectors.

He said that IPDF should focus on stand alone energy projects in remote areas of the country with special focus on employing the potential in solar and wind energy generation.

Moreover, clear concepts on setting up of domestic solar panel industry should also be evaluated, he added.

The minister said that transparency and competitiveness should be the hallmark of the Public Private Partnership and instead of consuming PSDP local investors should be encouraged in infrastructure development.

Ishaq Dar emphasized that the professional work of IPDF should be directed at offering well prepared services to the public sector in designing of new projects and rehabilitation of the projects which are not delivering up to their maximum capacity.

He said that in line with the manifesto of the PML-N the projects should focus on domestic investment and local employment generation in both urban and rural areas.

"We will have to work hard to materialize the growth targets and economic development in the country", he added.