Chashma 3 & 4 nuclear plants financing: Cabinet to ratify IGFA signed with China

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Chashma 3 & 4 nuclear plants financing: Cabinet to ratify IGFA signed with China

ISLAMABAD (March 24 2010): The Cabinet, scheduled to meet on Wednesday, is set to ratify Inter-Governmental Framework Agreement (IGFA), signed with China for concessional financing pertaining to, Business Recorder has learnt. Following lukewarm response from the United States on provision of civil nuclear technology, China has formally offered Pakistan two nuclear power plants with power generation capacity of 300 megawatt--Chashma-3 and Chashma-4.

According to sources, total cost of the two nuclear power plants has been estimated at Rs 189.918 billion, and Pakistan requires Rs 139.7 billion foreign assistance to finance these projects. The government has already allocated Rs 4.55 billion in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the current financial year.

These projects will be completed in eight years. Pak-China Technical Working Group (TWG) had met on July 22- 24, 2009 in Islamabad to finalise the list of projects to be financed by China. Beijing had included these two nuclear power plants in its financial year development programme (FYDP) 2009-10, agreed between the two countries.

According to the agenda of the Cabinet, the report on the status of implementation of Cabinet decisions taken during the period March 25, 2008 to February 28, 2010 will be presented before the Cabinet. The apex body will also review the decisions taken by Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet in its meeting held on March 9, 2010.

The Cabinet may accord approval, in principle, to the Draft MoU between the governments of Iraq and Pakistan for Training Co-operation. Approval for signing of Inter-Governmental Framework Agreement with China for Concessional Financing will also be sought for procurement/installation of non-intrusive vehicle x-ray inspection system.

Other items on the agenda of the Cabinet are: (i) Ratification of (1) International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and (2) Convention Against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CAT); (ii) Approval, in principle, to enter into negotiations with Spain on an agreement on transfer of sentenced persons; (iii) Ex post facto approval, in principle, of the Cabinet to start negotiation on an MoU with South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) on Regional Oil and Chemical Pollution Contingency Plan; (iv) Ex post facto approval of the Cabinet to the MoU between Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) and two Chinese Solar Energy Companies; (v) Determination of Upfront Tariff for co-generation projects by Sugar industry; (vi) Approval of the Cabinet to the Bill to provide for the Establishment of National University of Law and Social Sciences at Islamabad; (vii) Management and Repatriation Strategy/Policy for Afghan Refugees in Pakistan (2010-2012); and (viii) Presentation on Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) Report 2002-2008.

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