Infrastructure and Transport News

[Neo]

Pakistan to lay first rail link in Afghanistan dpa German Press Agency
Wednesday May 23, 2007

Islamabad- Pakistan will start construction of the first
major functioning railway line in Afghanistan, officials from the
countries said in Islamabad Wednesday.

An initial 10.5-kilometre stretch of track will be laid from the
Pakistani border town of Chaman to Spin Boldak in Afghanistan at a
cost of 700 million rupees (11.5 million US dollars), Pakistani
Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid said after signing a memorandum of
understanding.

The work will take about a year. A second phase envisages
extending the line to the southern Afghan city of Kandahar for
eventual connection via the western city of Herat to Khushka in
Turkmenistan.

While Britain and Russia built railway lines in Afghanistan in the
19th century and the Soviets during the occupation in the 1980s,
there is no working railway service in the country today apart from a
few kilometres across a bridge from Uzbekistan.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat
Aziz agreed to lay the track at ba meeting last year.

http://rawstory.com/news/dpa/Pakistan_to_lay_first_rail_link_in__05232007.html

 

[Neo]

World Bank and IDA to provide $25 million to Pakistan to improve the performance of trade and transport system

FAISALABAD (May 28 2007): World Bank and IDA will provide $25 million to Pakistan as technical assistance to improve the performance of the Trade and Transport Logistics System and bring it up to international standards with the aim to reduce the cost of doing business in Pakistan and ultimately enhance trade competitiveness and the country's industrialisation.

According to official sources, Planning Commission and Ministry of Commerce, government of Pakistan will achieve this objective through policy reforms targeted within the framework of NTCIP, investment projects relating to railways, road transport, ports and shipping, aviation, trade facilitation and capacity building/analytical work and increased institutional capacity to develop and implement the changed sector environment. Direct recipients of the proposed technical assistance project are NTCMU, TTFU, National Trade and Transport Facilitation Committee (NTTFC), and respective public agencies (ministries, operating authorities).

In an update project report, Jean-Noel Guillossou, Senior Transport Economist of World Bank stated that the initial beneficiary will be Pakistan's private sector trading community, which will have better opportunities to enhance their competitive position in their international markets and, under competitive pressures, reduce costs to consumers. This should in turn generate additional employment and growth opportunities. Pakistani consumers should also benefit from the resulting reduced costs of imports. Specific targets and their benefits will be set during project appraisal, he added.

Based on lessons learned, he said that GOP and World Bank have agreed on financing NTCIP through programmatic DPLs, specific project investment lending and a technical assistance loan. GOP and the Bank also agreed that a multi-sector policy-oriented operation to support implementation of reforms acting as triggers for specific project investment lending would be most effective.

Jean-Noel Guillossou, Senior Transport Economist of World Bank said that the technical assistance loan will help prepare and monitor reforms through establishment of coordination units within the Planning Commission and Ministry of Commerce and provide additional analytical underpinning and training opportunities.

The project is proposed to consist of the following five components (i) capacity development in the entities directly concerned with the implementation of NTCIP during the period of programme execution (NTCMU), (ii) support for the implementation process of NTCIP through analytical work on trade procedures and trade supporting infrastructure and services needs (including roads, railways, ports and shipping, aviation and energy sub-sectors), (iii) further strengthening of the private sector participation through TTFU and NTTFC aiming to internalise public-private collaboration on trade facilitation through a dedicated project component (building on the Bank funded "Trade and Transport Facilitation Project"), (iv) establish sustainable monitoring and evaluation system to evaluate impacts of NTCIP-including the coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the social and environmental safeguard issues, and (v) manage the external communications strategy for the NTCIP.

He mentioned that the project's five components will finance the institutional set up of NTCMU, TTFU, and national and international consultancy services resulting in underlying studies, research, and training. The funds will be proportionately divided in both units.

In order to ensure effective implementation of NTCIP with particular emphasis on trade facilitation, a five-year stand-alone TA is the most feasible option for maximising sustainability and achieving Pakistan's development priorities for international competitiveness.

Many of the technical assistance and capacity building requirements facing the implementation of the NTCIP are institutional and technical in nature, which is difficult to address in investment operations. Stand-alone technical assistance compared to technical assistance components integrated in investment operations has proven to be most effective when dealing with multiple sectors and agencies. Due to its multi modal nature, ownership and implementation of NTCIP is spread across agencies and sectors under the coordination of the Planning Commission and the oversight of the prime minister's office and NTCIP Task Force, he added.

Jean-Noel Guillossou said that the successful implementation of NTCIP will require strong ownership at the ministry and agency level as well as strong leadership at the level of the Planning Commission (acting as the designated coordinating and management agency of NTCIP) as well as collaboration from the private sector. TTFP-1 has proven that strong leadership and true champions of a project/programme are essential for successful outcomes.

Private sector participation has been seen as a prerequisite to trade and transport facilitation initiatives. Major reforms implemented under the program are seen to reduce the cost of doing business in Pakistan. The relatively under-developed private sector in Pakistan has therefore a major role to play by adapting itself to the changed environment, he added.

He explained that the project loan is proposed to amount to $25 million over a period of five years. During project preparation, partnership and collaboration with ADB, JBIC, UNDP and EC will be further developed.

According to World Bank's study, Pakistan's economy has expanded by over 6.5 percent per annum during the past four years. A wide-ranging programme of economic reforms launched in 2000 has played a key role in the country's economic recovery. These reforms have done much to boost Pakistan's share of total trade in GDP (rising to 30 percent in 2005).

Exports have strongly performed in recent years, growing to about $14.4 billion in 2005, and investment has rebounded. To sustain sufficient momentum for this growth in the coming decade, the government of Pakistan (GoP) is now focusing on reducing the cost-of-doing business and increasing productivity and international competitiveness.

A major initiative has therefore been launched by GoP to improve the trade and transport logistics chain along the north-south 'National Trade Corridor' (NTC) linking Pakistan's major ports in the south and south-west with its main industrial centers and neighbouring countries in the north, north-west and east. Together, the ports, roads, and railways along NTC handle 95 percent of external trade, and 65 percent of total land freight serving the regions of the country, which contribute about 85 percent of GDP.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=569711&currPageNo=1&query=&search=&term=&supDate=

 

[Neo]

CAA convinces EUto restart PIA flights

European Union to revisit its decision in late June in light of the progress made towards removing its reservations

By Saad Hasan

KARACHI: The European Union (EU) has expressed satisfaction over efforts of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to help restore normal operations of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to the 27-nation bloc, a senior official told The News on Monday.

Senior CAA officials met EU authorities in Brussels on May 21 to discuss the issue of operational restriction on PIA aircraft, said Deputy Director General CAA Air Vice Marshal Safdar Khan who was among the three-member delegation led by DG Farooq Rehmatullah.

“The meeting was very, very positive; a good icebreaker,” he said, adding CAA’s action plan for putting big part of PIA fleet back into European airs was well received by the EU officials. EU that imposed flying restriction on 35 aircraft of Pakistan’s national flag carrier earlier this year will revisit its decision in late June in light of the progress made towards removing its reservations.

Though it has been reported that the operational restriction on PIA’s B-747s and A-310s was a result of passenger-safety precaution, the aviation authorities in Pakistan insist it was mainly an outcome of poor upkeep of the aircraft.

“Bad condition of exterior and interior of a plane reflects the overall performance of the airline,” AVM Khan said, arguing an airline that fails to maintain upkeep of aircraft can not be trusted to ensure safety of passengers either. But, he maintained PIA was in the process of implementing the action plan prepared by CAA to remove the EU grievances. CAA was vigilantly monitoring its implementation, he added.

However, the woes of the once-prime airline go beyond the EU’s operational restriction. PIA suffered a loss of Rs3.9bn in first quarter of 2007, up almost Rs300m a month from Rs3bn incurred during Jan-March 2006.

Moreover, former Chairman and CEO Tariq Kirmani left PIA at a time when the airline was crying for a strong leadership to take it out of the financial and operational crises. As fuel price remain vulnerable to US-Iran standoff over nuclear arms issue, the government is yet to extend financial assistance to loss-making PIA to start hedging fuel. PIA faced a loss of Rs13.2bn during 2006 primarily due to high fuel cost.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=58014

 

[Neo]

June 01, 2007

ABN Amro, PIA sign $522m accord

KARACHI, May 31: Pakistan International Airline (PIA) and ABN Amro signed a loan financing arrangement for $522 million to fund acquisition of three new Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft for the national flag carrier.

The financing arrangement comprises 12-year term loan facilities of $470 million supported by the Export-Import Bank of US and Pakistan government guarantee and seven year commercial facilities of $62 million.

The agreement signing ceremony, arranged by the ABN Amro Bank in Amsterdam, was attended by senior members from ABN Amro's cross border structured finance group, including Maarten Klessens, global head of structured funding and investments, Paul Kranendonk, Global Head Cross Border Structured and Commodity Finance and Naveed A Khan, Country Executive, ABN Amro Pakistan.

Representing the Boeing was Anil Patel. PIA team was led by M Abdul Aleem, chief financial officer.

Klessens congratulated PIA for remarkable achievement which resulted in fleet modernisation through a very attractive financing package.

PIA chairman Zaffar A Khan appreciated ABN Amro and PIA loan agreement in finalising this large transaction at commercially attractive rates.

He said that the government is lending full support to ongoing business operation of airline which is currently undergoing an operational, financial re-structuring and modernisation activity to further improve its customer service and performance.

http://www.dawn.com/2007/06/01/ebr7.htm

 

[Neo]

US to provide financial support for improvement of ports

ISLAMABAD (June 02 2007): The United States will provide financial and technical support for improvement of ports, security and enhancement of facilities at LNG terminals. This was stated by Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri after his meeting with Acting U S Ambassador to Pakistan Peter M Boad.

The Federal Minister stated that government was taking concrete measures to promote shipping and advancement of ports, said a press release here on Friday. He said Pakistan had become a focal point of investment for the foreign investors, because of continuation of economic policies of the government, in which advancement and development of ports has taken unusual importance.

He said consistent efforts to establish new ports have brought positive results in this regard. The Federal Minister expressed the hope that in future Pakistani ports will play a key role in connecting Central Asian States Afghanistan and China with other ports of the world for trade and transportation, which will further strengthen Pakistani economy. In the meeting both sides showed satisfaction on the development and performance in this regard.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=571656&currPageNo=2&query=&search=&term=&supDate=

 

[Neo]

Airblue starts Islamabad, Manchester flights

KARACHI (June 02 2007): The first long haul flight operated by a Pakistani private carrier departed for Manchester from Islamabad International Airport on Friday at 15:30 hours Pakistan Standard Time, according to a airblue press release issued here.

The flight was operated by airblue's A321 aircraft carrying a full load of 26 business class and 146 economy class passengers to arrive at Manchester at 20:30 hours UK time.

Airblue, Pakistan's largest private airline, will be operating four-weekly-return flights on the Islamabad-Manchester-Islamabad sector which will increase to five weekly return flights from June 28, 2007 and eventually to a daily flight from mid-July.

Airblue is the first private airline of Pakistan in the aviation history to start long haul operations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom. The new operation was warmly welcomed by the local communities of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan and British Pakistani communities settled in Manchester as new direct flights have been introduced on a sector which had heavy demand, and the passengers had been left with no option to travel by other carriers with long transit stops on route. Now the passengers can complete the journey in nine and a half hours with no change of aircraft.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=571632&currPageNo=2&query=&search=&term=&supDate=

 

[Neo]

Railways to induct new fleet of 150 high powered locomotives

ISLAMABAD (June 03 2007): Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Saturday said that all efforts to raise the status of Pakistan Railway matching with international standards are in-hand. As a very first step, he said, steps are afoot to restore the punctuality of train services for the purpose a fleet of 150 new high-powered locomotives are being inducted.

Talking to President PR Commercial Group and Staff Association Multan Division Malik Razaq Riaz, who called on the minister here, the minister urged the workers and officers of railways to put in more efforts to improve the standard of their organisation.

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said, for the first time in the history of PR the highest ever number of freight coaches - 2181 - have been dispatched from Karachi to the upward destinations.

He said the ministry is attaching top priority to improve parcel and goods services, which he termed was the backbone of the railways. In the passenger sector, he said they had no in-hand plans to increase the fares while improvement in service is being brought in phases.

He said PR has been able to import required machinery for the manufacture of locomotives at Risalpur Locomotive Factory and the consignment would reach Pakistan soon. He said all the efforts are being made on war footings with highest level of care and attention.

The minister said that recently they have introduced five awards on monthly basis for the PR drivers, guards, commercial and technical staff for ensuring strict observance of punctuality. He further said the system of reward has been introduced in Railways for the first time and hoped this would bear fruitful results.

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said, a number of welfare steps for Railway employees have been taken which include, up-gradation of drivers and guards and other running staff with the trains besides offering permanent job to the contractual employees at different tiers of the organisation.

As far as the provision of facilities to passengers, he said soon e-ticketing would be introduced while the system of issuing tickets against credit cards has already been initiated.

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said with the induction of almost 15 new passenger trains on various destinations was a major achievement, during his short tenure of 13 months. He said with the induction of new trains the passengers have been able to get sufficient number of seats available for their travel.

The Railway Minister said that feasibility study for running of bullet train between Rawalpindi and Lahore would be completed by July this year, enabling PR to transform the ambitious plan into reality. He said from June 15, the running time of non-stop trains between Rawalpindi and Lahore would be further reduced from existing four hours to three and half hours.

He said the running time of trains on the main track - between Raiwind and Khanewal - has already been reduced up to four hours. The minister said the measures for betterment of commercial staff would be considered sympathetically as a number of steps in this regard are already in the pipeline.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=572071&currPageNo=3&query=&search=&term=&supDate=

 

[Neo]

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Cargo handling: Port Qasim sets new target of 2.5m tonnes

KARACHI: The Port Qasim Authority (PQA) has set a new record for cargo handling of 2.5 million tonnes during the month of May 2007.

A spokeswoman informed Daily Times on Monday that during current financial year 2006-07, a cargo volume of more than 26 million tonnes is expected to be handled at the PQA, an increase of some 13 percent over the corresponding period of previous year.

Similarly shipping also showed an increase of 11 percent during current financial year. A record container traffic of more than 0.6 million TEU’s registering an increase of 13 percent over corresponding period, has already been handled at QICT which accounts for major fraction of the containerised traffic of the country.

Engro Vopak Chemical Terminal caters for major chemicals imports if the country, as POL imports at FOTCO oil terminal are expected to surpass 8 million tonnes capacity mark during 2006-07.

She said financial year also symbolises PQA as export facilitator since exports at PQA showed major improvements over more than a decade. Dry port comprises wheat, rice and cement, which showed an increase of 81 percent during 2006-07 as compared to previous financial year.

Sustainable growth pattern has been observed at the port over the years as during the first 20 years, from 1983 to 2003, growth in cargo and ship handling has been at 10 percent respectively. However during the tenure of present government, from 2003 onwards to closure of financial year, 2006-07, growth in cargo and ship callings has been observed at 19 percent and 13 respectively per annum.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\06\05\story_5-6-2007_pg5_5

 

[Neo]

Rawalpindi-Islamabad mass transit to start soon: Rashid

RAWALPINDI (June 13 2007): Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that mass transit train between Rawalpindi and Islamabad would not only provide easy communication link to the people of the twin city but also decrease pressure on the roads.

"The train service would start soon to provide better and cheaper travelling facilities to the commuters of twin city", the minister said while addressing the workers of Pakistan Railways at the launch of the first indigenously overhauled locomotive engine at Central Diesel Locomotive Workshop here on Tuesday.

Superintendent Railways Muhammad Hayat Malik, Divisional Superintendent Syed Munawar Shah, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) Mian Ahsan Mahmood, Deputy CME Firdaus Khan and a large number of Railways workers were also present on the occasion. The minister said that about 10,000 residential quarters would be constructed for the Pakistan Railways employees across the country.

He said that increasing number of passengers was a proof that the people have confidence in the department. Appreciating the performance of the workers he said that the department earned Rs 2 billion profit in the current financial year only by virtue of hard work of Railways employees. He said that the Railways' employees would be sent abroad for advanced training to improve their technical skills which help modernise Railways to meet world standards.

"The entire Railways network would be altered with the most modern system. Double track would be laid from Peshawar to Karachi in different phases. On the occasion the minister said, "Railways would also purchase wagons and in this connection negotiations with many countries are underway." With 15 percent adhoc relief and up-gradation of pay scales have given relaxation to 90,000 Railways employees, which shown sympathetic approach of President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz towards the government employees.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=576700&currPageNo=2&query=&search=&term=&supDate=

 

[Neo]

Huge spending on Pakistan’s infrastructure
By Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad

June 13 2007

Pakistan will spend more than $7bn in the new financial year, which begins next month, on infrastructure such as roads, bridges and power lines, according to the prime minister.

The spending plan, unprecedented in Pakistan’s history, is geared to deal with fast-growing demand from an economy now in its third year of recovery.

The government last *Saturday announced plans to spend up to Rps520bn ($8.6bn, €6.4bn, £4.3bn) during the next financial year on national development, half of which is meant to be spent on infrastructure.

However, Shaukat Aziz, prime minister, told the Financial Times that state-owned corporations such as the Water and Power Development Authority, the main provider of electricity, and the Karachi Port Trust, which manages one of Pakistan’s largest ports, will together spend an additional Rps220bn ($3.6bn) on developing infrastructure.

“There is growing pressure on our infrastructure. The Pakistani economy has doubled in just five years,” said Mr Aziz. “We have already invested a lot but, as you can see, the demand is rising very fast.”

Mr Aziz denied claims from opposition leaders that the government was significantly raising its public spending in an election year to win favour. He also denied the plan would put pressure on government spending. The fiscal deficit in the next financial year is projected to fall to 4 per cent of gross domestic product from 4.2 per cent.

“This plan has nothing to do with elections but everything to do with infrastructure. The rise in development spending is aimed at removing the bottlenecks that we currently face.”

Sakib Sherani, chief economist for Pakistan at ABN-Amro, said the promised spending represented a jump in real terms but questioned whether the government would succeed. “One big issue is the extent to which the government will be able to undertake all of its plans. Pakistan has had a history of projects planned but not executed in time,” said Mr Sherani.

Western officials in Islamabad said the spending plan could be derailed if political uncertainty mounted to the extent that it affected Pakistan’s economic outlook. The opposition parties since March this year have rallied behind Iftikhar Chaudhary, chief justice of the supreme court, since he defied the government’s move to force him out of office. Since then public protests surrounding Mr Chaudhary have given momentum to the anti-government movement.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/6e72d5ee-19cc-11dc-99c5-000b5df10621.html

 

[Neo]

Proactive drive for construction of roads in Punjab

LAHORE (June 14 2007): Punjab Communication and Works Department has been directed to constitute survey teams comprising engineers and road experts, which would point out black spots and dangerous curves on various roads in the province, so that these could be removed immediately to minimise the threat of accident.

Punjab Communication and Works Minister Chaudhry Zaheer-ud-Din Khan issued this directive to Punjab C&W Secretary Muhammad Ahsan, while presiding over a high level meeting here on Tuesday, disclosed an official. Additional Secretary (Technical) Masood-ur-Rasool, Chief Engineer Highway North, Chief Engineer Highway South and Superintending Engineers also attended the meeting.

Chaudhry Zaheed-ud-Din said that the rate of traffic accidents could be minimised by removing the black spots and dangerous curves from the roads. He directed the Chief Engineers North and South to chalk out a comprehensive plan for the construction of such roads, which have completed their designed lifetime.

He said that a plan should be evolved to improve the geometry of existing roads. He directed that Communication & Works officers to launch a comprehensive campaign in collaboration with district governments and local police to remove encroachments from inter-districts and other important roads. He also directed that road-marking and traffic signboards should be displayed at roads on priority basis for the guidance of drivers.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=577091&currPageNo=3&query=&search=&term=&supDate=

 

[Neo]

ADB and Canada to support Kandahar-Spin Boldak roadwork: $12.8 million grant pledged

ISLAMABAD (June 15 2007): ADB and Canada will support the completion of the 103.4-km Kandahar-Spin Boldak Road with a $12.8 million grant. The road starts at Kandahar, south-eastern Afghanistan, and continues to the south-east, through the Hada Hills, and ends at the Afghan-Pakistan border town of Spin-Boldak.

Rehabilitation of the road began in October 2002 with $30 million grant to Afghanistan from ADB's Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. The funding covered reconstruction and improvement works on 61.4 kilometers of the road, said a statement of the bank.

The new grant would be used to rehabilitate the remaining 42 kilometers of the road and boost employment, trade and commerce in south-east Afghanistan. "The road's full potential cannot be realised until its entire length has been improved," said Robert Rinker, Senior Portfolio Management Specialist with ADB's office in Afghanistan.

The roadwork has provided employment to residents and returning refugees and expanded opportunities for trade and commerce. Average daily traffic increased from around 2,500 vehicles in 2003 to over 3,800 in 2005 and is expected to continue to increase. The project will be undertaken by Hamkar Construction Co-Afghanistan, which won the contract through a public bidding by Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Works.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=577830&currPageNo=3&query=&search=&term=&supDate=

 

[Neo]

Pakistan Deep Sea Water Container Port

Malpractice in bidding pointed out

KARACHI: Bidders have questioned the bidding process of Pakistan Deep Sea Water Container Port, as parties allowed to participate in the tendering are one way or the other submitting two tenders simultaneously.

The ministry of finance has issued a notification through SRO 432 (1)/2004 which, declares this act as a violation of the rules and regulations, which is soliciting of any thing of value to influence the action of a public official or the supplier or contractor in the procurement process or in contract execution to the detriment of the procuring agencies.

According to the shipping sources this would lead to establish bid prices at artificial, non-competitive levels and to deprive the procuring agencies of the benefits of free and open competition.

The sources said that the co-owners of QICT and KICT have been allowed to tender separately. On the face of it, there are four pre-qualified bidders but because of the global partnerships and joint shareholdings amongst the parties, there are in fact only two distinct groups within the four parties ñ DP World and Maersk Line being one group and PSA and HPH being the other.

The pre-qualification parameters are kept at such a high level that all Pakistani firms in the port business together can not be pre-qualified.

According to tendering principles, all the four companies should have been debarred from the tendering by the consultants as well as port authorities on the charge of participating in the submission of more than one tender, the sources added.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=60532

 

[Neo]

Bus service between Pakistan and Nepal urged

KHATMANDU (June 16 2007): Nepalese Foreign Minister Sahana Pradhan declared that Nepal and Pakistan have a long history of cordial relations and working together at regional and international forums, including Saarc but voiced her disappointment that the required progress has not been achieved by Saarc like Asean or the European Union.

Talking to CPNE delegation led by its president Syed Fasieh Iqbal, here on Friday the Nepalese Foreign Minister said promotion of tourism between Nepal and Pakistan through a regular bus service via India should be pursued seriously by both the countries. Nepal shall lend its full support to the proposal, because promotion of tourism and people to people exchange is within the charter of Saarc and Nepal would definitely support such a measure.

Talking of close ties with Pakistan she said that both countries had a shared history of freedom struggle. Pakistan and India became independent after colonial rule in 1947, Burma became independent after having remained a colony of the British in 1948 and Nepal also became independent in 1951. She felt very strongly that road and air links between Nepal and Pakistan must be expanded to the optimum level.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=578120&currPageNo=3&query=&search=&term=&supDate=

 

[Neo]

Daewoo to run buses in Karachi

KARACHI (June 17 2007): City Nazim Karachi, Syed Mustafa Kamal has offered the Daewoo Company to initiate bus service in the metropolis. Kamal assured that city government will support the company to start bus services and urged that it should initiate services with CNG buses.

These views he expressed in a meeting with Change II Kim, Chief Executive of Daewoo Pak Express Bus Services who called on him at his secretariat on Saturday. Offering provision of land and possible co-operation in other areas, he urged the bus service provider firm to establish a training institute for 500 drivers and technicians to create a neat transport culture.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=578800&currPageNo=2&query=&search=&term=&supDate=