ERRA to be subsumed into NDMA

Financial matters of quake authority would be finalised by end of budget year

ISLAMABAD: The Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) will be subsumed into the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) by December 31. However, financial matters of the earthquake authority would be finalized by the end of the budget year.

“Subsuming of ERRA into the NDMA is under way in light of the federal cabinet's decision and would be completed by the end of this year,” Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal – who is head of both the authorities – said while chairing the 25th ERRA board meeting, a press release said on Thursday.

“The budgetary and financial modalities would be finalized by the end of current financial year,” he said.

Discussing the future of the ERRA staff, Afzal said the existing staff would be adjusted in the proposed National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other wings that have been proposed for future structure of the NDMA.

The main agenda of the 25th meeting of the ERRA board was the development of the New Balakot City Project on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis. The plan has already been discussed and approved by the prime minister in principle.

The board members agreed that this project would be a new tourism hub and will be completed by taking all stakeholders, including the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government and earthquake affected people of old Balakot City, into confidence.

The NDMA chief said the project would be established on the self-financing model which would contribute one per cent of total annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is approximately around $3 billion.

He informed the participants that he envisaged a three-tier self-financing model for the NDMA as well, wherein all operational and disaster management expenditures and compensations would be met from the NDMA’s resources.

(With additional input from APP.)