KARACHI: Sindh govt wants to work in human capital, poverty reduction, stunning revenue mobilization and economic reforms with support of the World Bank, said Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.
He express these views while talking to the World Bank (WB) country director Najy Benhassine here at the CM House. He was accompanied by operation manager Melinda Good and senior operation officer Amena Raja. The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Nasir Shah, Awais Shah, chief secretary Mumtaz Shah, chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, provincial secretaries Najam Shah, Kazim Jatoi and others.
The meeting discussed 18 projects worth $3.25 billion, including $1.64 billion ongoing and 1.605 billion in the pipeline.
The chief minister said five projects were scheduled to close during the current financial year.
The chief minister said the World Bank was committed to release $461 million against which $267.7 million have been released so far and the remaining amount of $193.3 million were yet to be released. He added that these projects would complete by end of this year, therefore, they should be given priority in terms of financial support.
It was pointed out that the projects to be launched in partnership with the WB include Sindh Water & Agricultural Transformation, Sindh Early Warning Enhancement through class room transformation. The CM urged the WB country director to expedite their formalities so that they could be started from next financial year.
Talking about Sindh Resilience Project (SRP), chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem said it has been revised to include modified scope of work which needed to be approved by the ECNEC.
The meeting was informed that anti-encroachment activities around the main drain were in progress. Mahmoodabad Nullah has been cleared and clearance of encroachments from Gujjar Nullah and Orangi Nulla would be started very soon.
The chief minister said he has notified a working group on the development city-wide resettlement and rehabilitation framework by February 4, 2021 to work with the social development team of the World Bank. Commissioner Karachi, deputy commissioners/ administrators of KMC, administrator and revenue officials were already working with the WB.
The World Bank country chief said currently their 12 projects worth $1.64 billion portfolio were active and in progress while the portfolio of $1.605 billion six projects were in the pipeline.
The chief of the World Bank assured the chief minister that the release of stuck up funds would be released shortly so that the projects in progress could be completed in time.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021