USD425m NTM-I project: World Bank flags delays in implementation

The World Bank says execution of Pakistan’s USD 425 million National Transmission Modernisation-I project is behind schedule, with 60.12 percent of the financing disbursed. Its latest documents identify slow work on the Islamabad West Substation as the main reason USD 124.31 million remains unused, while the project retains a “Moderately Satisfactory” implementation rating.

The project is due to close on December 31, 2026, but delivery remains below revised targets: 17 of 24 planned substations were complete by November 2025, and just 7.2 kilometres of transmission lines had been built or rehabilitated against 11 kilometres. The World Bank also says the ERP system was not operational as of November 2025 and has raised fiduciary risk to “Substantial”; audited financial statements are now submitted in five months, compared with 14 months previously.