Representatives from the Punjab Food Department (PFD), Government of Punjab, and the USAID-funded Punjab Enabling Environment Project (PEEP), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide technical assistance for establishment of an efficient grain storage mechanism, involving transformation of grain storage from bag to bulk handling system.
This initiative will be based on a public-private partnership model to establish modern storage facilities throughout the province. Secretary Punjab Food Department Asif Bilal Lodhi and Chief of Party USAIDPEEP Muhammad Junaid signed the MoU while the signing ceremony was witnessed by Provincial Director for USAID Alyson McFarland, Agriculture Specialist USAID Lahore Asad Khan, Head of Procurement Unit World Food Programme Snjezana Leovac, as well as farmers, investors and private sector stakeholders.
Speaking at the ceremony, Secretary PFD Asif Bilal Lodhi said: "The Punjab Food Department has been entrusted by the government of Punjab to establish 200 near-farm wheat silos with a capacity of around 20,000 million tons each to ensure quality and availability of clean wheat throughout the year. Our partnership with the USAID will help us achieve this milestone by generating private sector investments and creating job opportunities."
Through the Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) Programme, one of PEEP's facilitation tools, the project will provide technical assistance to PFD in setting up grain storage facilities under the PPP arrangement in Punjab. PEEP's TAS programme offers a series of financial, technical, commercial, and legal advisory services for potential investors through project-contracted service provider KPMG Taseer Hadi & Co.