USAID-funded $15m project terminated

Decision comes days after Pentagon withholds $50m of CSF to Pakistan

FAISALABAD: The US government on Tuesday terminated funding to a $15 million project of University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF).

The US government issued a notification in this regard after completing close to 50 per cent work on the US-Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security project.

The termination letter has been issued days after Pentagon announced to withhold $50 million reimbursements under the Coalition Support Fund to Pakistan on the pretext that it is unable to verify whether Islamabad conducted adequate counter-terrorism operations against the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network.

Seems like the “Trump administration’s vow of a tougher stance against Pakistan” is materialising in this manner.



The stoppage of funding has caused termination of more than 79 employees working on the project since December 2014, which was mandated for five years under ‘USAID from the American People’ programme.

The Pakistani government had given a guarantee for the project’s sustainability and continuity even after completion of five years to achieve its target-oriented results.

Out of 79 employees, 39 each were recruited from the UAF and outside, respectively on contract basis for five years.

In addition, two employees - Dr Nancy J Allen, Director Coordination of Party and her assistant Huma John - were stationed at the UAF, besides five other American nationals - Prof Dr Jim Hill, Dr Muhammad Javed Iqbal, Diane Jelcogon, Lavi Mc Garry, and Steve –stationed at University of Davis, USA were attached to the ongoing project.

The ‘notice of award termination’ was served upon Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Vice Chancellor, UAF, who is also the chief of party of the project, by Mr Alina T Menicucci, Agreement Officer of the USAID programme.

Pakistan has been given time till September 21, 2017 for submitting all final invoices, completed project deliverables and/or settlement plans, according to the notice.



Of the total $15 million cost of the five-year project, $6.2 million had already been spent on account of payment of salary of the staff, purchase of lab equipment, library and other material. In addition, $5 million special grant had also been spent on the construction of three-storey building spread over 56,000 square feet, including basement, 12 modern labs, lecture theatre and rooms, and conference rooms equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.

Describing the decision as harsh, Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said, “It is tantamount to wasting the efforts of top class research scholars to achieve the goal of the projects which are far-reaching in nature.”

He said, “The project has already achieved remarkable outcomes, well exceeding the mandated targets for mid-term. Many of these achievements and future impact will be lost with this termination.”

The centre is now entering its most productive period as the partnership between UAF and UC Davis (a sub-award partner of Washington State University) has strengthened with time and project management systems are now well established, he said, adding that the partnership has and would have continued to deliver the most sustainable of impacts, long-term relationships between UC Davis/WSU and Pakistani scientists.

Termination at mid-term will have devastating effects on ongoing activities and future achievements as it undercuts the gains already made through hard work and resources of UC Davis, UAF and USAID, he added.