Senate panel seeks record of Covid-19 foreign aid

Asks how funds had directly been given to NDMA

ISLAMABAD:

The Senate Standing Committee on Planning and Development on Monday sought a record of the foreign aid received to counter the menace of Covid-19 in the country.

The panel asked for a joint briefing from the Economic Affairs Division, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Ministry of Health in the next session.

The Senate committee, which met under the chairmanship of Agha Shahzaib Durrani in the Parliament House was briefed about the funds received and utilised from the foreign countries on coronavirus.

The planning officials told the panel that the country had received Rs128 billion during the last fiscal year, while a pledge of $3.4 billion had been made out of which $2.4 billion had been given.

They said that the donor provides the financial assistance to the agency which works to counter the Covid-19 threat.

Member social sector Planning Commission informed the committee that the commission had approved an amount of $610 million for the projects to tackle the menace of pandemic.

“In the first phase, stress had been laid on saving the lives of people and now emphasis is being given on improving the health facilities,” he said.

“The set standard of 19 points to enter the country during the current year will be improved,” he added.

The panel was told that $230 million had been allocated for educational projects under the head of coronavirus.

The committee chairman questioned how $140.3 million had been directly given to the NDMA and asked how could any institution receive aid from a donor agency directly.

He noted that there was no mention of the approval for NDMA PC-1 and sought details in this regard.

Clarifying that NDMA had special powers in cases of emergency, the member social sector stated that no foreign aid could be received without the PC-1 approval.

He maintained that the Planning Commission does not formulate the PC-1 of any project and added that the provinces are given funds through concerned ministries and departments.

On committee chairman’s enquiry that the World Bank had given $1.5 billion in aid but the details of projects worth $500 million had been given, the Planning Commission observed that the government had directed the ministries concerned to forward recommendations on the projects for the remaining amount at the earliest.

The panel expressed lack of satisfaction on the details given by the Planning Commission and sought a joint briefing from the Economic Affairs Division, NDMA and Ministry of Health in the next meeting.