ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Monday that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has disbursed $4,357 million under various projects and programme loans.

In a written reply to a question, Minister for Economic Affairs Khusro Bukhtiar said that during the term of incumbent government – 18th August 2018 to December 30, 2020 – the ADB has disbursed “US$ 4,357 million under various project and programme loans”. Giving the breakdown of the loans and projects, he said US$1,457 million has been disbursed for project financing. US$2,900 million has been disbursed under programme loans. The ADB’s support primarily intends to finance projects in priority sectors including energy, road and transport, agriculture, urban infrastructure, social protection, public-private partnerships and disaster management, he added.

He said that the ADB’s programme loans are meant for budgetary support and structural reforms in the areas of energy, trade and competitiveness and capital markets.

In a written reply to a question about the funds at the Supreme Court of Pakistan and Prime Minister of Pakistan Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand Dam Fund, the Minister for Finance, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, told the House as of November 17, 2020, an amount of Rs11,250,487,205 as donations/contributions while an amount of Rs1,708,316,344 as profit on investments of the Dams Fund have been received in the Fund Account.

He said that besides it, following amounts have been deposited by the cellular companies as of November 17, 2020: Mobilink Rs74,735,170, Zong Rs18,591,980, Telenor Rs36,195,625, and Ufone Rs26,262,711.

He said that Pakistan Railways had also deposited an amount of Rs17,603,883 in the Dam Fund Account with respect to donation collected through sale of train tickets.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021