Chinese ambassador says CPEC attained $25.4bn investment so far
Islamabad
Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar has said that the government is committed to timely completion of power projects under the China-Pakistan economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
Addressing the ceremony of 660 KV Matiari-Lahore High Power Transmission Line project on Friday, the energy minister said this transmission line will bring stability to the power sector. He said the project will also provide relief to the people of Pakistan.
He said the CPEC will promote connectivity in the region and generate numerous employment opportunities in the country.
He said that Pakistan and China enjoy strong friendship and both the countries are cooperating in different sectors including health, education, power, trade and other CPEC-related projects.
The minister said CPEC is of utmost importance for Pakistan as it would enable the country to enhance industrial production, upgrade energy and communication infrastructure and improve connectivity within the region.
The CPEC has generated a number of employment and investment opportunities in Pakistan and beyond, he said.
He said the government is committed to providing basic necessities to the masses through its power projects.
Hammad said the government has also worked to improve the electricity transmission system in the country and a record 24,633 MW power was transmitted in the current month through its national power system. He said the Matiari-Lahore HVDC project is now successfully starting high-power transmission.
He appreciated the hard work of NTDC Management, PPIB, PMLTC and State Grid Corporation of China for making the project a huge success.
Speaking on the occasion, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong said that CPEC will be beneficial for all the segments of the society in Pakistan.
He said stable transmission of power is of vital importance for development of the industrial sector. He said this project will prove to be a milestone in economic development.
Nong Rong congratulated NTDC Pakistan and State Grid Corporation of China for the successful completion of the project.
He also expressed sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Energy, CPEC Authority, NEPRA and China National Energy Administration for the unremitting support and convenience provided.
He said over 1,300 Chinese engineers and technicians along with 6500 Pakistani workers overcame the impact of the pandemic and intensively worked together.
They successfully implemented the low-power test and the high-power test, and smoothly made it into the new phase of the high-power trial run operation in spite of the difficulties and obstacles, presenting us a good interpretation of China speed in Pakistan, the ambassador said. He said up to now, CPEC has attained $25.4 billion investment in Pakistan.
The ambassador said that China is willing to work closely with Pakistan to implement the consensus reached by leaders of two countries, and continuously advance the progress of CPEC, enriching the all-weather strategic partnership and building a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era. —TLTP
