ISLAMABAD: The government of Pakistan and the World Bank, on Friday, signed additional grant agreement of "FATA Temporarily Displaced Persons Emergency Recovery Project" worth $12 million.

With the additional grant financing of $12 million, the total cost of this project would amount to $216 million. Minister for Economic Affairs Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar witnessed the signing ceremony.

The FATA Temporarily Displaced Persons Early Recovery Project (TDP-ERP) is aimed at supporting the early recovery of families affected by the displacement, promote child health, and enhance citizen-centred service delivery in the former tribal areas of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The project will now also cover four new districts in the KP province i.e. DI Khan, Lakki Marwat, Tank, and Bannu, in addition to Kurram, Khyber, Orakzai, North Waziristan, South Waziristan, Mohmand, and Bajaur districts.

Noor Ahmed, secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs signed the grant agreement on behalf of the government of Pakistan, while the representative of the NADRA signed the Project Agreement.

Malinda Good, operations manager, World Bank signed the agreement on behalf of the WB. On the occasion, the Minister for Economic Affairs reiterated the commitment of his government to support the development activities in merged areas of KP.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021