Five projects to be completed in collaboration with World Bank: CM

Include KNIP, response to reduce stunting, agricultural productivity, public sector management

KARACHI:

Five projects being completed in collaboration with the World Bank are scheduled for completion in the current fiscal year, said Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday.

These include the Sindh Agriculture Growth Project at the cost of $86 million, the Sindh Irrigation Agriculture Productivity Enhancement Project at the cost of $76m, Public Sector Management Reform at the cost of $50m, Sindh Enhanced Response to Reduce Stunting at the cost of $187m and Karachi Neighborhood Improvement Program (KNIP) at the cost of $86m. Addressing World Bank Country Director for Pakistan Najy Benhassine during a meeting at the Chief Minister's House, Shah said that with WB's support, the provincial government wants to work for human capital, poverty reduction, stunting, revenue mobilisation and economic reform.

According to a statement issued by the CM's office, the meeting discussed 18 projects with an estimated budget of S3.25 billion, including ongoing projects of $1.64b and projects, amounting to $1.61b, that are in the pipeline. Of the five projects scheduled for completion in the fiscal year 2020-2021, Shah said that the WB has committed to provide $461m against which $267.7m have been released thus far, and the remaining amount of $193.3m is pending. He added that these projects would complete by end of this year, 2021, therefore they should be given priority in terms of financial support. The WB chief assured the CM that the remaining funds would be released shortly in time for completion.

He added that 12 projects amounting to $1.64b are active and in progress while six projects costing $1.61b are in the pipeline. The meeting noted that future projects to be launched in Sindh with partnership of the WB include the Sindh Water and Agricultural Transformation and Sindh Early Warning Enhancement Through Class Room Transformation. The CM urged the WB to expedite formalities so the projects may be launched in the next fiscal year. Meanwhile, Planning and Development Chairperson Muhammad Waseem informed the meeting that the Sindh Resilience Project has been revised to include modified scope of work which needed to be approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).

Read SHC irked at suspension of KDA officers’ salaries

The meeting was further apprised that anti-encroachment activities around the main drain are in progress. Mahmoodabad Nullah has been cleared and an anti-encroachment drive will be launched at Gujjar and Orangi nullahs soon, it was stated. Besides, the CM said that he has notified a working group on the development city-wide resettlement and rehabilitation framework by February 4, 2021 to work with the social development team of the WB. Officials including the Karachi commissioner, deputy commissioners and administrators of KMC and revenue officials were already working with the WB. Melinda Good and Amena Raja of the WB and provincial ministers Nasir Shah and Awais Shah attended the meeting as did Sindh Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro and provincial secretaries Najam Shah and Kazim Jatoi and others.