Agriculture and coastal management: World Bank intends to provide long-term loan to Sindh

Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim said that the World Bank has expressed its willingness to provide long-term cheap loan for the lining of canals, development of Karachi-Badin coastal road and modernisation of irrigation system, it was learnt here on Friday. The chief minister was talking to a team of the World Bank officials, led by one of the Bank's directors Ms Connie, which called on him at the Chief Minister's chamber in the Sindh Assembly Building.
The other areas where the Bank has shown its interest are Left Bank Outfall Drainage (LBOD), redrawing of its design, settlement programmes in Thatta and Badin, Badin-Islamkot road, repair of Sukkar Barrage and other projects related to agriculture.
The chief minister said that Karachi was stabilising and crimes were under control. Political harmony, business activities and investment climate were showing improvement and attracting people, who were hitherto reluctant in taking a decision regarding undertaking business activities in the province, he added.
The chief minister briefed the WB team on the ongoing development projects in the agriculture sector and discussed areas where improvements were still needed.
He said that with the improvement in the overall crime and political situation in the province inquiries were pouring in from abroad regarding the areas open for investment.
"We have more than 200 applications asking for industrial plots and permission to set production units in a number of sectors," Arbab revealed.
He said that most of the applicants were from the UAE and European countries, while a few were from the United States.
The WB team, the chief minister said, was willing to support the Sindh government in agriculture sector, improvement of farm management, water management and farm to market access facilities.
He said that Karachi-Badin coastal road is another area where the WB would like to support.
The chief minister said that the offer of the WB to extend loan on long term basis on cheap rates was an indication that they had confidence in the progress Sindh had achieved in the recent past.