The plan was approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) –the highest body that approves development schemes costing over Rs3 billion on behalf of the National Economic Council.
With Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in chair, the body also cleared the 128 megawatts Keyal Khwar Hydropower Project at a rationalised cost of Rs27.8 billion.
The Emergency Plan for Polio Eradication will be implemented all over the country including the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The plan comprises UNICEF procuring oral polio vaccines, and undertaking social mobilisation and communication campaigns on district and sub-district levels on behalf of the provincial and district governments, according to a handout issued by the Ministry of Finance.
The handout added that the World Health Organization (WHO) will conduct operational activities and undertake the supplementary immunisation activities on behalf of Pakistani authorities.
The ECNEC approved the project at a time when polio cases are increasing at an alarming rate due to lack of coverage owing primarily to the law and order situation in tribal areas of the country. On Thursday, three new cases of polio were reported from Khyber Agency where neither of the children had received any dose. The total number of confirmed cases in Pakistan is a staggering 146, the highest among nine countries struggling to cope with the disease.
The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) is leading with 107 reported cases of children being affected with polio virus followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 25 cases, whereas Sindh has 11 cases, Balochistan has two and Punjab has reported one case in the ongoing year.
Last year, as many as 93 confirmed polio cases were reported in Pakistan. In 2013, the highest cases had been reported in Somalia where 194 cases came to limelight, according to website of Global Polio Eradication Initiative. So far, only five polio cases were reported in Somalia.
During the current year, as many as eight cases were reported in Afghanistan, six in Nigeria, five in Somalia, two in Iraq, five each in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea and one each in Syria and Ethiopia, according to the website.
The project has been earmarked with a total capital cost of about Rs33 billion, for which a loan of $227 million will be provided by The Islamic Development Bank, a loan of $23.6 million will be provided by the World Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will offer a grant of $8.1 million, according to the finance ministry.
Further, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will be providing grant of $68.2 million to pick up the interest cost of the loan. However, Bill Gates' assistance will be subject to the government’s ability to expand the coverage of the polio campaign.
While addressing the meeting, Dar said the financing of health services was the responsibility of the provincial governments after the devolution.
However, the federal government also felt it is responsible for arranging the finances required for the project. He said it was unfortunate that Pakistan is still facing challenges in eradicating the disease from the country.
Minister of State for Health Saira Afzal Tarar said, “this loan will be converted into the grant as per the understanding with the donors if we are successfully able to eradicate polio from our country.”
Keyal Khwar power project
ECNEC considered and approved a summary moved by Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms for the 128MW Keyal Khwar Hydropower Project in Kohistan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa.
The project will be completed by WAPDA in four years time with the rationalised cost of Rs27.803 billion.
The project will be funded by PSDP and has a FEC of Rs10.988 billion.
The project will be interconnected with national grid by 2.8 km long, 132KV double circuit transmission line which will terminate at the Duber Khawar HPP switch yard.
The project will generation an estimated 418 GWh per year.
COMMENTS (5)
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@Ch. Allah Daad: Oh bravo! the federal government is finally for once using public money on something other than buying cars, palaces or funding foreign trips, Oooh I know what would be an excellent idea, let's drag IK into this as well to get a few more thumbs ups from other patwarees just like you did in your previous 4,867 comments.
and for power project fund comes from PSDP which fedral gov can spend any where in pakistan....@Ch. Allah Daad:
Money will be eaten up in the name of Polio..........throwing money at the problem is not the answer......doing the right thing and getting results is the answer.
To mention "Federal" would in fact be misleading. What has been approved by ECNEC is the rupee equivalent of a syndicated loan by Islamic Development Bank, World Bank and the Japanese government. The Gates foundation will cover the interest payments of the loan. So for doing nothing more than allowing polio to circulate in Pakistan, the government gets hefty foreign exchange support for its declining rupee. Way to go GoP.
'Federal Government' should have been mentioned in headline. Majority knew it's Federal Government but there are still few naive people who would have thought about KP government.