GRASP empowers farmers, SMEs

QUETTA:

Balochistan Planning Minister Zahoor Ahmed Buledi on Wednesday said that the Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress (GRASP) has brought significant improvements in the lives of farmers and small businesses in the province.

He expressed these views while addressing participants at a closing ceremony organised by the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Government of Balochistan and the European Union (EU) to mark the successful completion of the six-year Grasp project in the province.

The gathering was informed that in the last six years, GRASP has provided significant support to farmers, small businesses and local communities in ten districts of Balochistan.

More than 20,000 farmers and SMEs have benefited from the project, including more than 8,000 women.

During this period, 208 matching grants were given, 168 businesses got access to credit, 87 percent of units adopted solar and eco-friendly technologies, and important steps were taken to improve the capacity of provincial institutions.

The meeting was told that 24 policy documents were developed in collaboration with the Balochistan government, of which 15 have been formally approved.