ADB $50 million roads sector plan objectives generally achieved: report

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) completion report on a 50 million dollars loan, undertaken to formulate a national policy reform programme for the road sector, was assessed as generally achieving its objectives of policies and most of the policy actions with one critical exception: developing a comprehensive road safety framework.
Completion reports are undertaken by the same department, which designs and implements a loan. Therefore, there is an obvious conflict of interests in terms of assessing a loan. Be that as it may, the road sector development programme completion report has urged that while preparing future programmes the ADB must set "programme targets so that they are clearly measurable and quantifiable....(and) the program administration and review by ADB should emphasise close monitoring of the executing agency, (MOF and supported by MOC and NHA in this case) and ensure continuity of staff in the administration team."
Thus, the ADB not only failed to provide measurable and quantifiable targets, reflecting poor design capacity within ADB, but also failed to ensure continuity of its own staff--at a cost to Pakistan.
The completion report notes that the policy directions to the program included (i) conducting road safety audits, (ii) establishing road design standards, (iii) conducting black spot mapping, and (iv) assigning institutional (road agency) responsibilities.
Actions required to be achieved included: (i) establishing accident reporting centre by 2002 in order to create a comprehensive accident data base, (ii) a training school for driving instructors in the same year, and (iii) an accident evaluation laboratory for forensic investigations was to be formed under this program.
The completion report has found that in the first phase of the programme NHA reduced staff level to 1,299. However, NHA is not in favour of further reducing staff levels since with more roads being added to the network it would require more staff, which would be addressed through reorganisation.
According to the report, the National Road Safety Secretariat, under the Ministry of Communications (MOC), was established in September 2006. However, the implementation of its tasks was a major issue and is not happening because of lack of resources. Also, the funds were not made readily available, thereby affecting the implementation of road safety policy actions, mainly. The report notes that the reforms to strengthen judicial and police sector were not initiated during this program.
It is relevant to note that lack of transparency and accountability within ADB has been highlighted in the international media, and Western donors, through representation in the Board of Directors at ADB, have expressed reservations in this regard. Within this context, it is relevant to note that the former World Bank President, Wolfowitz, had agreed to resign after weeks of controversy over his handling of a pay package for his girlfriend.
It is also relevant to note that International Monetary Fund Managing Director Strauss-Kahn is currently under investigation for abuse of power. To-date, ADB management has resisted pressure from its board of directors to usher an era of accountability and transparency.