Pakistan plans to invest a massive $41 billion in mega projects that will generate a good deal of business for its foreign trading partners and domestic producers. These plans were unveiled recently at the 2-day session of bilateral and multilateral donors, clubbed together in Pakistan Development Forum (PDF), formerly known as the World Bank's Aid-To-Pakistan Consortium, Arab News reported today. Pakistan has indicated investments required for the next three years - fiscal 2006 to 2008, and beyond. These include $33 billion for the water sector until 2025. Of this, $12 billion will be invested in the next five years, Ashfaq Mahmood, secretary, Ministry of Water & Power informed the PDF. Within five years, it will build, two large dams and reservoirs costing $6.3 billion. Expanding irrigation will cost $4.6 billion & drainage, flood control & land reclamation $717 million. Several new power generation facilities will be established to meet additional electricity demand of 7,880 megawatts (mw) by 2010 and a total of 20.120 mw by 2015. The present installed capacity is 19,540 mw. The southern province of Sindh requires $5.7 billion for its infrastructure development, housing and road network, while the Southwestern province of Baluchistan needs $1.0 billion to improve its water facilities.
