The project CPEC is entering in its phase two. This phase aims to accelerate socio-economic development across Pakistan through joint initiatives between China and Pakistan to counter the threat of climate change, as well as participation in areas ranging from agricultural growth to the expansion of the tourism industry and the development of technical education and healthcare facilities. There will also be a focus on poverty reduction via agricultural and industrial cooperation.
Given the economic crisis prevailing in the country, where the debt burden and subsequent rising inflation have seriously affected the lives of ordinary people, CPEC phase 2 looks promising for ordinary citizens, provided the government can develop a strategy that can potentially focus on public welfare.
CPEC has attracted the government’s attention for its potential to create 700,000 jobs and multiple trading opportunities. However, little focus has been placed on the socio-economic benefits of CPEC, particularly its impact on the education and health sectors. In the first phase of CPEC, the Community Investment Plan (CIP) for the socio-economic improvement of the communities living in the project areas remained a core aspect of the various CPEC projects, as these programs were limited in focus and scope, that is why they were unable to create a phenomenal difference in the lives of the general public.
The frame of mind is expected to change in the ongoing second phase. The government must develop a strategy that will link individual CPEC projects with community development and public interest to raise their socio-economic profile in both urban and rural areas. In order to achieve this desired goal, the government needs to take some important steps such as:
First, the socio-economic development projects already identified by the joint cooperation committee (JCC) of CPEC should be given priority during phase 2. These include a total of 27 projects further segregated into six sectors, including education, drinking water supply, health, agriculture, poverty reduction, and vocational and technical education. For the long-term success of CPEC projects, it is crucial to engage with the local communities in form of effective development communication, but also addressing the socio-economic needs of ordinary people.
There is a need to include ‘community development’ as the core of all individual projects, particularly in the health and education sectors. As noted, CIP remained a part of CPEC projects but was not used to the maximum extent. For example, under the CIP, 11 projects were carried out in both Punjab and AJK for the common benefit of the local community around the Karot Hydropower Project, where a school and an emergency unit were built in a local hospital. There is an extreme need to implement such schemes for building new schools and health care facilities, especially in SEZs (Special Economic Zones) and larger industrial units. The link that such an initiative will create between the local community and the project will create long-lasting gains for CPEC.
Finally, a smart perspective in this context is to manage CPEC projects with the defined United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Pakistan is among the first few countries which adopted the SDGs for poverty reduction and sustainable development in 2016. However, Pakistan faced many difficulties in meeting these targets due to a lack of resources, and because of this reason, its ranking in the global SDGs index dropped from 115 to 134. Due to the dire state of Pakistan’s socio-economic development environment, Pakistan needs to focus more on achieving the SDGs. Pakistan’s performance in the health and education sectors has remained inadequate, with an infant mortality rate of around 50% and literacy rates of only 30-40%.
In Pakistan’s development policy both SDGs and CPEC are important components. Thus, their interactions in urban and rural environments provided a unique and distinctive description of the actual socio-economic situation at the CPEC’s project location. This approach will save energy and money invested separately in achieving the SDGs on the one hand and CPEC development goals on the other. Especially in this second phase of CPEC, investment policies and planning must be aligned with the SDGs targets that are clearly set for the benefit of ordinary people, particularly in the health and education sectors.
