Abdul Ghani ISLAMABAD, June 14, (INP-WealthPK): Pakistan has started reaping the fruits of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as 26 projects worth $17 billion have been completed, WealthPK reports. According to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2021-22, Pakistan and China have successfully launched 56 projects under the CPEC and actively implemented the Belt and Road Initiative. Work is in progress on the remaining 30 projects worth $8.5 billion. Moreover, 36 projects with an estimated cost of $28.4 billion are also in different stages of negotiations for inclusion in the CPEC framework. The survey says that the Chinese and Pakistani workforce, in a large number, has been employed to ensure the timely completion of the infrastructure projects and launch of new schemes under the CPEC such as Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway (M-6), Peshawar-DI Khan Motorway (M-14), KKH Alternative Route (Gilgit-Shandor-Chitral), Swat Expressway (Phase-II), Dir Expressway and Karachi Circular Railways. Pakistan Railways is one of the key modes of transportation in the public sector that promotes national integration and economic growth. The government is committed to upgrading the transportation and communication system with the development of new roads, highways, motorways, railway tracks and airports to improve connectivity under the CPEC. The CPEC is a pragmatic step for converting the unique geo-strategic location of Pakistan into geo-economics through various transport-related projects that would transform the road infrastructure of Pakistan and improve access to central Asian, African and European states. Moreover, the gross earnings of railways were recorded at Rs43,731.59 million during the fiscal year 2021-22. A network of roads, highways, motorways, seaports and airlines in a country makes it a centre of economic activity by attracting investment, raising productivity, and reducing the cost of doing business Dr Amanat Ali, a development economist at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, told WealthPK that the CPEC, launched in 2015, started giving its dividends in the form of construction projects. He said that uplift schemes such as railway and infrastructure projects are vital for exploring the economic potential in Pakistan. “The completed projects are an omen of the industrial development in the country. The completion of these 26 projects manifests that the country is heading towards industrial growth. It is a fact that Pakistan has attained a 7.19 percent industrial growth in the current fiscal,” he said. The CPEC projects hold immense significance in contributing to Pakistan’s industrial growth. These schemes have the potential to increase Pakistan’s foreign direct investment. However, consistency is needed in the projects besides continuity of creating a harmonious and transparent ambiance of investment for domestic and foreign investors in the special economic zones. It will help to get the designed benefits of industrial and sectoral growth in Pakistan.