ISLAMABAD, March.14, (Gwadar Pro)—A webinar on “CPEC authority legislation-future prospects for Pakistan” was jointly organized by Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) and DTV on Saturday. Participants fully affirmed the positive role of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in boosting Pakistan’s economy, an efficient and empowered authority for CPEC is urged to achieve the targets and harness the economic benefits.

 

Maj Gen Raza Muhammad (R), Advisor to President NDU, underscored that CPEC is a ray of hope for the economic prosperity of Pakistan which could play a pivotal part in the future known as the Asian century.

 

People have to understand the essence of CPEC. “Sometimes it is wrongly projected that CPEC runs counter to the goals of other parties. Actually, it contributes to and supports the presence and strategic objectives of the region, especially in the maintenance of peace in Afghanistan. For making CPEC more transparent, print and electronic media such as a dedicated YouTube channel will be of great help.”

 

Mr. Hassan Duad Butt, Ex Project Director, CPEC and current CEO of KP-BoIT/KP-SEZA expressed his views on how coordination can be improved through CPEC Authority and how Pakistan and China can get desired economic goals of CPEC on fast track. “It is of great significance to complete CPEC projects on time. The requirement of having a seamless method of coordination is essential. In this regard, federal governments need to hold regular meetings of the CPEC stakeholders and meetings of the seven joint working groups to improve efficiency. The CPEC authority shall have more powers and authority to combat the challenges and bottlenecks.” 

 

“CPEC has played a crucial role in transferring Pakistan from a warhead state into an investment-friendly state. He supposed projects completed under CPEC to be utilized on a commercial basis."Dr. Shahid Rasheed, former Executive Director, CPEC Center of Excellence, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), stressed at the occasion that," there is a need for holistic planning for the future development of CPEC and combining completed projects with a long-term approach to integration. The federal and provincial governments shall work in harmony in the new phase of CPEC to invigorate agriculture and industrialization."He also emphasized the importance of the business community in establishing practical links between the two countries.

 

Talking on further improving the atmosphere of CPEC construction, Mr. Shakeel Ramay, Director, CPEC Study Centre, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) said that the emergence of CPEC is not sudden. It is the efforts of the two countries for 70 years, and many rumors exist because of the lack of understanding of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. “Businessmen who come to Pakistan should be given more respect and honor, rather than being reported in front of so many departments. CPEC Authority must have more powers and it must have a mandate to guide the process.”

 

While chairing the session, Mr. Munir Ahmed, Executive Director, Devcom-Pakistan said that he was the one who proposed an inclusive and empowered CPEC authority in his interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) way back in May 2018. Many have been projecting CPEC as a debt trap. Every investment and loan has the capacity to become debt if not used efficiently. “We need to develop the CPEC narrative according to its objectives and targets beyond the political scoring and vested interests of the individuals and interest groups.”