Chairman China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) General Authority (Retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa said the coronavirus epidemic will not affect the progress of CPEC projects.

The remarks came while addressing a conference organized by NEPRA here in Islamabad, in the midst of ongoing coronavirus that has killed more than 2,400 people, with about 80,000 globally infected, while China remains the worst hit by far.

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Chairman CPECA said benefits from the completion of CPEC’s first step are starting to appear. The retired general said work is underway on the western route under CPEC.

He told that CPEC power projects will finish on time. “After June, things will start to show up on the ground,” Bajwa said.

Meanwhile, in his speech, Federal Energy Minister Omar Ayub Khan said Prime Minister Imran Khan is paying a keen interest in the energy sector. The minister insisted on the need to look into energy project contracts.

“Imported fuel puts pressure on rupee and foreign-exchange reserves,” Ayub said. The federal minister said the energy sector in the country offers a $100 billion investment opportunity.

Ayub noted that the government is working to increase renewable electricity production, while urging the need to implement technology in the energy sector.