Lapses in fund: Shortfall of $575.1 million for reconstruction in FATA

Officials say if gap is not filled, projects will be completed with federal funds

PESHAWAR: There is a gap of $575.1 million in the funds required for reconstruction in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. This was revealed in the annual report of the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Unit (RRU) which chalks out an extensive plan for the future development of the region.

In January 2015, the RRU initiated rehabilitation assessment of government infrastructure and public buildings. Teams at the agency level with participation from all line departments were notified by RRU in coordination with the relevant political administration to assess damaged schools, health facilities, water supply units, electricity transmission lines, irrigation infrastructure, government offices and basic access roads in South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Khyber, Orakzai and Kurram agencies. As of June, eight assessments have been completed in various agencies.

For houses

Citizen Losses Compensation Strategy, that was earlier referred to as Housing Strategy, is a key component of the overall plan. At least 105,744 houses have been projected to be damaged – 66,989 destroyed and 38,754 partially damaged. Most of the houses were damaged due to disrepair and weather effects during the period of displacements.

Under the programme, owners of damaged households will be provided Rs33 billion ($330 million).



While the government had previously held a donors’ conference for the reconstruction of Fata, the annual report shows China has the largest commitment for long-term development commitments in the region. An MoU has been signed between the two countries under which China will provide Chinese Yuan 800 million ($129 million) out of which around $119 million are obligated for Experimental Reconstruction Project in Fata.

Officials privy to the developments say if the gap in funding is not filled by donors the government has committed that the projects will be completed with funds provided by the federal government. At least 1,406 projects of damaged infrastructure have been identified to date. Additional schemes of ADP from 2015-16 were approved to the tone of Rs1.2 billion ($12 million) and amount released to executing agency. The implementation of all these schemes is in progress and around 400 schemes are completed.

Status of levies

Levies Report and Implementation Plan explores the lack of institutional capacity, legal superstructure and organisational structure of the current levies force and their lack of legitimacy and technical expertise to act as a regular policing force in Fata.

In order to reform the levies, a detailed implementation plan has been devised which addresses the weaknesses of the force by providing an institutional and legal background for the creation of a new force that will be recognised as a legitimate law-enforcement agency in Fata.

A draft implementation plan for the extension of an independent judiciary and prosecution services in Fata has been devised. The plan also outlines recruitment and deputation methods as well as pre-service training plan, establishment of judicial complexes and the requisite equipment and budgetary requirements.

Model by-laws for Municipal Committees (MCs) in Fata have been devised detailing their allocation of business, organisational working of MCs postings transfers of officers, job descriptions, general procedures for disposal of business, administrative functions and financial powers, local source revenues, taxation and budget.

Local governance report

The local governance report discusses the context and background of the local government history in Fata with amendments. The report has a comparative analysis of the institutional landscape of local government in all provinces, with an overview of various policy questions like institutional mechanisms for people’s participation in local development, taxation and financial allocation mechanisms.

A concept paper has been devised which discusses possible institutional options for constituting a transition entity to spearhead these and other broad-based reforms in a timely and effective manner. The document proposes two approaches. The first would be to set up a lean and high performance transition/reform unit, styled in the manner of a delivery unit with an additional coordination mandate.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2016.