Punjab has entered a new phase of public-private partnerships, with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif digitally inaugurating five road projects being transferred to the Punjab Public Private Partnership Authority.
The transfer of the projects is expected to generate Rs22 billion in revenue for the Punjab government, according to officials.
The projects include the 80-kilometre Muridke-Narowal Road, the 33-kilometre Narowal-Shakargarh Road, the 97-kilometre Faisalabad Ring Road, the 52-kilometre Faisalabad-Sahianwala Road and the 56-kilometre Faisalabad- Samundri- Rajhana Road.
Under the arrangement, modern electronic toll plazas will be established on the roads. A private contractor will collect tolls linked to the National Highway Authority for seven years and will also be responsible for the operation, maintenance, construction and repair of the relevant roads.
Senior Punjab Minister and Vice Chairperson of the Punjab Public Private Partnership Authority, Marriyum Aurangzeb, briefed the chief minister on the projects and the authority s wider plans.
Officials said the programme would cover a range of sectors beyond roads, including hostels, hospitals, parks, sports grounds, waste-to-energy schemes, water supply, recycling and tourism projects. The authority s existing project pipeline also includes road, water and sanitation and student accommodation initiatives.
Projects under consideration include effluent treatment plants in industrial zones, parking plazas, tourism facilities, food streets and the management of sports grounds.
