High hopes: Steering committee formed to address FATA’s need for progress

PESHAWAR:

The FATA Secretariat has established a steering committee to streamline all developmental activities in the tribal areas.

“The secretariat’s Directorate of Projects (DoP) is making efforts to maximise the effectiveness of all projects by streamlining aid, increasing government ownership and accountability,” said Fata Secretariat Director General Projects Syed Mazhar Ali Shah while talking to The Express Tribune on Monday.

Shah said that as envisaged in the Fata Sustainable Development Plan of 2006 to 2015 and the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness of 2005, an effective mechanism for donor coordination was the need of the hour.

The Donors Coordination Steering Committee (DCSC) has been formed and housed in the DoP, which according to Shah will provide a platform for stakeholders to share their experiences of working in the tribal areas.

The first meeting of the DCSC is scheduled to be held on November 8 in Islamabad. All donors are expected to participate. When asked about the terms of references of the DCSC, Shah said that the steering committee will provide a platform to organise aid and delivery and ensure that development activities are not duplicated.

“These coordinated efforts will help maximise the effectiveness of ongoing projects in Fata that include various undertakings on healthcare, education, infrastructure and governance, besides encouraging a larger number of donors to step forward and invest in Fata,” Shah said.

Expressing his views on the structure and role of the DCSC, Mazhar Ali Shah said that the committee will be chaired by the secretary planning and development, Fata Secretariat, whereas director general projects, representatives of existing and potential donors, Economic Affairs Division and the  Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) will be its existing members.

Shah further said that the committee will meet every quarter.  “Now we have a platform, which was missing earlier,” Ali said.

Highlighting the challenges Fata had faced in the past, Shah said that the region has been thoroughly neglected and requires major upheaval for it to be at par with the rest of the country. “The government will remain in the driving seat regarding developmental projects in Fata,” he added.

When asked about the trust deficit between the residents of the tribal areas and the government, Shah said that the tribal people had recognised the need for development. He added that tribesmen were eager for a social transformation and the government will do everything in its power to ensure the realisation of these aspirations.

Mazhar said that the government is committed to bringing a revolutionary change in Fata, adding that the Annual Development Programme for Fata, which in 2002 was Rs2 billion, has now been raised to Rs16 billion.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2012.