The World Bank has agreed with a plan for capacity building of the Local Government and Rural Development (LG&RD) Department of NWFP under which the Tehsil Municipal Administrations (TMAs) officials would be extended all-out financial and technical support.
The bank has announced to send a high-level mission to the provincial capital from its headquarters to finalise agreement in this regard. It was revealed during a meeting of the NWFP Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Sardar Muhammad Idrees with WB authorities at Islamabad. They included Junaid Ahmad Kamal, Sector Manager, Masroor Ahmad, Mark Ellery, experts of water and sanitation programme and Farhan Sami, the Country Team Leader of WB.
The team fully agreed with the argument of the Provincial LG Minister that civic facilities being provided to the people could not be satisfactory in all respects until the capacity of the staff of the LG department and especially TMAs was enhanced on modern and scientific lines.
It reiterated for extending all-out assistance to the provincial government in this regard and further assured that the WB mission would reach Peshawar prior to announcement of the annual budget for giving final touches to the agreement for financial and technical aid.
The team also lauded the performance of the NWFP government about implementing the foreign aided programmes in letter and spirit especially the Community Infrastructure Project (CIP) being financed by the WB as well assured full co-operation till completion of the projects and achieving its set goals.
The provincial minister reaffirmed pledge of the MMA government that policies about financial discipline, austerity and check on corruption and non-developmental expenditures would be continued and the saved amounts would be spent on developmental schemes. He thanked the WB for its interest and support in improving the social sectors in the province. He said that MMA government would continue its endeavours for removing backwardness and poverty from the province.
He expressed the confidence that world community and international donor agencies would extend all possible assistance to MMA government in realising this mission which he said would also contribute in promoting the feelings of goodwill and fraternity at international level.