Unused funds

Consequences of failure to utalise the funds will be huge & the K-P government needs to think about this seriously


Editorial November 27, 2014

The most common reason for lack of development that is given by federal and provincial governments in our country is the lack of funds available for development initiatives. However, the fact is that mismanagement of the resources that are available has been a greater curse in some cases and has severely hindered initiatives that are vital for economic uplift and for addressing grievances of marginalised communities. The Multiple Donor Trust Fund, a collaboration of 10 donor countries and the European Union, is an initiative worth $180 million that was earmarked for the conflict-stricken tribal areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan. Unfortunately, most projects that were supposed to be backed by this fund have not seen completion in due time despite this programme having been streamlined under a study of the Post Crisis Needs Assessment (PCNA). The programme has been marred by irregularities and allegations of corruption.

The funds for the K-P Southern Area Development Project have remained underutilised, with only 15.5 per cent of the budget having been spent. The project is going to lapse by June next year “without achieving the core goal”. The World Bank is authorised to extend the project for another three years but it will have to convince the donors to do so, and they undoubtedly will not look too kindly upon the state of the programme. Southern K-P is the poorest part of the province and is home to a large displaced community that has moved there because of the military operation in the tribal areas. The PCNA has shown that the economic divide in the area has been exploited by terrorist organisations for recruitment purposes. The consequences of failure here will be huge and the provincial government needs to think about this seriously. An inquiry must be initiated to see why the funds remain underutilised. Those responsible must be taken to task, particularly at a time when the federal government is making appeals for more international aid for internally displaced persons.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2014.

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COMMENTS (1)

AVMPolpot | 9 years ago | Reply

;By an act of Parliament any unused Funds.. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Should get transferred to PMs Travel Fund.:)

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