NHA earned Rs 83.079 billion revenue during past two years

ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (APP): National Highway Authority (NHA) earned total revenue of Rs. 83.079 billion during two years tenure of the incumbent government raising the funds from Rs. 33.011 billion in 2018-19 to Rs. 50.068 billion in the year 2019-20.

According to the 2 years performance book issued on the occasion of completion of two years of PTI rule,the previous government during the last couple of years of its tenure made no serious effort to increase NHA’s revenue which stood at Rs. 28 Billion during FY 2017-18.

No audit recovery was actualized during FY 2017-18 and no land was retrieved from encroachers, no plantation along NHA network was done and no initiatives were taken to modernize NHA’s operational and governance mechanism.

The key objective behind the vision of NHA included, cross border and inter provincial connectivity to be enhanced, complete North-South Motorway linkages to be established.

It also included strengthening of East-West connectivity i.e. Balochistan Largest BoT regime under Public private partnership mode to be implemented, off budget financing/ cost saving to be enhanced, contribution to GDP growth to be increased, Elimination of the deficit, conversion of manual processes into digital operations with emphasis on quality assurance, elimination of wasteful expenditure.

Besides that introduction of new products/initiatives aligned with customer needs, initiatives taken by the NHA during the past two years included Public Private Partnership on BoT basis taken up, revenue, austerity and audit recoveries to the tune of Rs. 100.52 billion were also actualized.

It has also carried out anti-encroachment drive, transparency to be ensured through geological information system and e-tendering system, plantation drive, and launching of youth internship training program.

During the past two years four CPEC projects were completed, two CPEC projects are ongoing and two projects of CPEC have been taken up, anti-encroachment drive carried out and 448 kanals of land, worth Rs.4.12 billion have been retrieved.

A plantation drive was carried out and approximately 763,053 trees were planted, launched youth Internship training programme; Non paid internees, 481 selected and 171 trained and during the time 1324 selected for a paid internship program but did not join due to Covid-19.

An amount of Rs. 154.96 billion was allocated under PSDP 2020-21 for NHA among which it utilized more than 100 per cent allocation i.e. Rs. 155.1 billion. Whereas 12 NHA projects having a length of 1640 Kms were completed during PSDP 2019-20.

Three phases of Development of GIS Database/ System were completed and the project completion date is Dec 12.

An E-billing initiated and crash audit of works for last three years carried out by the government during this time span including Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway (M-6), Layari Elevated Freight Corridor, Sialkot – Kharian Motorway, Kharian-Rawalpindi Motorway.

However, dualization of Karachi-Quetta-Chaman Road (N-25), construction of Shahdra Flyover (N-5), dualization of Balkasar -Mianwali Road, dualization of Mianwali-Muzafargarh Road were being carried out on BOT basis.

For creating awareness and outreach, E-Katcheries have been conducted by Chairman NHA which has yielded good results and road users are more aware of the activities NHA was performing.

Road users have given information through Mobile app and road users information centres along highways have been developed which were playing a role in creating awareness.

Proposed or implemented legislative policy framework done during the past two years included draft policy on National Freight and Logistics Policy of Pakistan (NFLP) prepared which would be submitted to the Federal Cabinet for consideration and approval.