Ahmed Khan Malik

The Sindh government is set to unveil a series of new public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives in its upcoming budget, building upon the province's successful track record of such collaborations.

These initiatives aim to enhance infrastructure development, improve public services, and stimulate economic growth across various sectors, officials in the PPP Board told WealthPK. Sindh's commitment to PPP has garnered both national and international recognition.

“This model has accelerated infrastructure development and improved service delivery, serving as a benchmark for other regions,” said Arbab Chandio, Consultant Planning in the PPP Board. While specific details of the new PPP initiatives will be disclosed in the forthcoming budget, he pointed out that several key areas are expected to be prioritised.

He said that in the education sector, building on the success of the initiatives like the People's School Programme, which operates 35 schools across Sindh with an enrollment of over 25,000 students, the government plans to expand educational infrastructure and enhance the quality through further PPPs. “These efforts aim to bring more out-of-school children into the education system and improve learning outcomes,” he said.

Chandio said the province has witnessed positive outcomes from PPP in the healthcare sector, notably a reduction in infant mortality rates. “The upcoming initiatives are expected to focus on expanding healthcare facilities, improving service delivery, and ensuring better health outcomes for the population.”

“Besides, in the transportation sector, projects like the Karachi Circular Railway and the Karachi Breeze (Bus Rapid Transit System) have been part of Sindh's strategy to modernise urban transportation through PPP.

The new budget is likely to allocate resources for the continuation and expansion of such projects to alleviate traffic congestion and provide efficient public transit options,” he said. About the infrastructure development, Chandio said that the government aims to address challenges posed by climate change and natural disasters by investing in resilient infrastructure.

“This includes projects like the Sindh Barrage, designed to prevent seawater intrusion and restore agricultural productivity, thereby supporting the livelihoods of local communities.” He said that Sindh's forthcoming budget reflects a continued commitment to leveraging PPPs as a means to drive development and improve public services.

“By engaging the private sector in these initiatives, the government seeks to harness expertise, efficiency, and investment to achieve sustainable growth and enhance the quality of life for its citizens,” the consultant planning in the PPP Board said. “For sustained development, the PPP mode will have to be mainstreamed in Sindh, rather than being used just for a few special projects,” Chandio noted.

“To fully utilise PPP’s potential and to ensure that PPP projects are successful and mutually beneficial, a comprehensive enabling environment for private investments in infrastructure facilities is being created through the adoption of relevant policies, establishment of a legal and regulatory framework and introduction of clear guidelines for cost recovery and PPP financing arrangements,” the official said.

The official said that the PPP mode involves the financing, development, operation and maintenance of infrastructure by the private sector, which would otherwise be provided by the public sector.

Credit: INP-WealthPk