Development projects: ERRA completes 645 projects in AJK, K-P

These cover the education, health and communication sectors among others.

ISLAMABAD:

The Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) has successfully completed 645 projects in Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). The authority has also started stock-verification process of its assets for their redistribution among the implementing agencies.

According to an ERRA official, 309 projects have been completed in AJK and 124 in K-P in the education sector, while 65 projects have been in AJK and 57 in K-P in the transport and communication sector. Moreover, 32 projects in the health sector and 58 in the power sector have been completed in AJK.

Following the completion of the projects, ERRA has started stock-checking of Earthquake Emergency Assistance Programme (EEAP) assets. The verification of the public assets is being done as part of its role as the executing agency on behalf of the government and the Asian Development Bank, its donor agency.

The government and the ADB will decide about the future deployment of these assets, in consultation with the governments of AJK and K-P. The assets will be transferred to the executing and the implementing agencies and departments concerned, after assessing the quantity and physical verification and serviceability of the EEAP assets –  including vehicles, computers and furniture items – to the satisfaction of the donors.



The transfer of the assets is being done to ensure transparency and fair distribution among the stakeholders.

The official said the whole exercise was being undertaken as the assets purchased under different portfolios always remained public property and were subject to statutory audit and physical verification, which is why adoption of proper accounting procedures was necessary.

He said such accounting and transparency efforts need to be supported by the stakeholders as well as the media in the larger interest of the country and also to strengthen confidence of the donors in the government. He said the government entered into an agreement with the ADB to obtain a loan of $154.227 million and a grant of $80 million for projects in earthquake affected areas of AJK and K-P.

The agreement was later revised on completion of up to $378.80 million worth projects by ADB, with counterpart funding by the government to the tune of $69.400 million, raising the total to $448.300 million.

Following the closure of the ADB loan and the grant period on June 30 last year, ERRA assumed the responsibility to complete the pending projects.

The over-all impact of the project was positive as the economy has recovered and the quality of life has improved, said the official. He said literacy rate in the affected areas has also increased by 4% and access to health services by 2.5%. The quality of roads has improved, thus reducing the travel cost, fuel consumption and pollution caused by the traffic congestion, the official added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2013.