Pakistan and USA on Friday signed agreements, worth $339.10 million, on strategic objective grant to be spent in areas of economic growth, education, governance, health, population welfare, earthquake reconstruction programme and Fata development programme during fiscal year 2008-09.
Under the strategic objective grant agreements, for Education Sector Support Programme US Government has committed to provide $128.9 million. This contribution will strengthen and improve basic education and higher education programme. It will further enhance the need and merit-based scholarships programme with the collaboration of Pakistan Higher Education Commission.
The financial assistance under Governance to the tune of $23.2 million will be spent for improvement of justice system, civil participation and media freedom, improvement in electoral process and decentralisation programme. Similarly, the amount allocated for Health & Population Welfare of $76.5 million will ensure improvement of reproductive hea1th, HIV Aids, tuberculosis, maternal and child health and water supply & sanitation in different parts of the country.
The financial assistance under economic growth amounting to $43.5 million will ensure the economic stability in the areas such as trade & investment, infrastructure, agriculture, private sector competitiveness and strengthening of micro enterprises productivity.
Under Earthquake Reconstruction Programme the Government of United States has committed to provide $48.5 million. The said contribution will further enhance the technical assistance & capacity building in the affected areas and will also be utilised for construction and procurement.
In September 2007, US Government had approved huge package assistance for Fata Development amounting to $750.0 million over a period of five years (2007-2012). Last year, US Government provided $73.0 million under this programme, whereas now $20.5 million will be disbursed during the year 2008-09. The funds under this programme would be utilised for capacity building of Fata Secretariat and other government institutions for service delivery, good governance, infrastructure, economic growth, micro enterprises development, health arid education.
Earlier, Anne Aarnes, Director, USAID/Pakistan and Farrukh Qayyum, Secretary, Economic Affairs Division, signed these SOGA Amendments on behalf of their respective governments, whereas James Kunder, Acting Deputy Administrator of USAID, Gerald Feierstein, Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy, Islamabad and Shaukat Tarin, Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs signed the agreements as witnesses.