ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday proposed that Karachi Port Trust (KPT) complete the Lyari Elevated Expressway project on its own or execute it under public-private partnership (PPP).
The committee, which met under the chairmanship of Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, held a detailed discussion on the Lyari Elevated Expressway project and highlighted the need for its early completion to alleviate traffic congestion caused by movement of containers in Karachi.
During the meeting, National Highway Authority (NHA) officials informed the committee that a South Korean company had estimated the cost of the project at Rs 164 billion, while the NHA’s own estimate was Rs 88 billion.
Officials said the Korean company had also proposed building the expressway using a steel bridge.
KPT officials informed the committee that the Korean side had estimated the total cost of the project at Rp300 billion, while the NHA’s latest estimate was approximately Rp120 billion.
Committee Chairman Mirza Ikhtiar Baig described the Lyari Elevated Expressway as an extremely important project for Karachi, noting that container traffic moving around the city at night creates serious problems for residents.
He stressed that the project must be concluded as soon as possible.
The Secretary of Economic Affairs informed the committee that the loan for the project was to be initially obtained by the KPT.
He suggested that if the KPT could not execute the project independently, it should be completed through a PPP or under the Public Sector Development Programme.
