MoE capacity building: World Bank scraps project for non-utilisation of funds

The World Bank has scrapped a capacity building-related project for non-utilisation of the funds by the Ministry of Environment (MoE), depriving Pakistan of a 0.5 million dollars grant. The MoE has failed to utilise the World Bank''s grant at a time when Pakistan is pleading the world community to provide its financial help.
Pakistan is also requesting the donors such as the World Bank to fund its capacity enhancement related projects so that the government officials could have new ideas and methodologies to learn the new concept and deliver to the people''s expectations. It is not the money, which matters in this case. Rather it''s an attitude which shows that officials of some ministries like MoE hardly bothers how significant each penny at this point in time is significant for Pakistan, no matter from where it pours in.
Non utilisation of a grant despite repeated extension in the deadlines is also painful for those in the government who deal with the donors such as the World Bank to secure funds for different projects. For utilisation of funds for capacity building project, MoE was to prepare a programme and submit to the donors for completing a formality and get the grant to use for different capacity building programmes.
Sources said the World Bank had approved the funding for MoE for building up of capacity of its officials including training for updating on the new methodologies for addressing the issue of pollution and creating awareness among the public to make them feel that pollution was a big menace which they need to address on top priority basis.
The World Bank approved the funds for the project last year and as per original schedule the MoE was to utilise funds in 2009-10 which it could not utilise within stipulated period. The bank extended the deadlines for three times with a written caution note that it was a grant and Pakistan needs to utilise the funds and take its benefit by providing its officials an opportunity for training and updating themselves on the new technologies being applied by the developed nations to address the environment related issues.
Environment is a key issue globally and the entire world is focusing on it giving training to their concerned employees. For it the poor nations are seeking grants from donors and richer nations. With the same objective the World Bank approved a grant of 0.5 million dollars for Pakistan two years back and set a deadline of June 2010.
The deadline expired without any response from the MoE and then the World Bank extended the deadline three times each time with a hope that the government of Pakistan may take the deadline seriously and respond to utilise funds granted for this environment-related project.