Govt likely to set up EPDWP with unlimited powers

ISLAMABAD    –  To curtail the approval time of the provincial funded developmental projects, the federal government is likely to establish Executive Provincial Development Working Party (EPDWP) with unlimited sanctioning powers to consider and approve schemes above Rs 10 billion.

A summary to set up the EPDWP will be presented for the approval of the National Economic Council (NEC) in its next meeting, official source told The Nation here Sunday.

The source said that NEC had directed the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives to come up with a plan for granting unlimited sanctioning powers to the provincial development forums for the provincial funded projects. The provinces are also supporting the proposal for granting unlimited sanctioning powers for self-financed projects of the provinces. 

Currently the Provincial Development Working Parties (PDWPs) are working in all the provinces with the mandate of approving developmental projects. 

The PDWPs in the provinces are headed by Chairman/ACS of respective provinces and it has sanctioning powers of up to Rs 10 billion. The projects over and above Rs 10 billion require CDWP sanction for moving it to Executive Committee of the Nation Economic Council (ECNEC) for approval.

The sanctioning powers of the CDWP which is headed by the Deputy Chairman Planning is Rs 10 billon, while ECNEC is the forum for the approval of the projects costing more than Rs 10 billion.

Now it has been decided that at provincial level a new forum  with the name of Executive Provincial Development Working Party (EPDWP) will be established with the mandate to consider and approve provincial projects above Rs 10 billion financed from their own resources. However, projects involving foreign exchange component or loan would be processed through CDWP and ECNEC as per policy in vogue.

The step will help saving time in the approval, lessen the burden of the Planning Commission of Pakistan and will ensure the swift approval of the provincial funded developmental projects locally, the source claimed.

According the sources, the respective Chief Ministers  of the concerned provinces will be the chairmen of the EPDWP, while its members will include the provincial Finance and Planning Ministers, Secretary Finance, Secretary Planning and Chairman Planning & Development Boards/Departments of the respective provinces. The federal government will be represented by Deputy Chairman Planning Commission of Pakistan in the EPDWP, the source added.