Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Establishment Division Senator Ahad Cheema chaired a meeting on the National Highway Authority (NHA) on 24 October. The NHA is currently performing an assessment alongside a consultant from the Asian Development Bank.
Senator Cheema stated that the NHA requires a viable business plan to bolster its financial sustainability. He argued that PC-I documents must establish commercial viability using more realistic indicators.
The minister suggested that the NHA should categorise projects based on their financing requirements and viability. Initial studies for projects should be submitted to the Ministry of Finance’s Central Monitoring Unit (CMU) for feedback, Cheema said.
The government does not support reducing the PSDP allocation, as Cheema noted that such funding remains vital to the NHA development programme. Prioritisation should be given to projects that are socially, economically, and commercially viable.
Secretary Finance Imdadullah Bosal, Secretary Communications Ali Sher Mehsud, and the Chief Executive Officer of NHA attended the session.
