Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Tuesday chaired a meeting of senior officials of the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) to review progress on foreign-funded projects.

The EAD secretary gave the meeting an update on different ongoing and planned projects with financing from the Asian Development Bank, Department for International Development (DFID), World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and other multilateral and bilateral development partners. The EAD secretary also gave a briefing on the Pak-German government-to-government negotiations on economic cooperation being held in the EAD.

The finance minister stressed the need for judicious and transparent utilisation of foreign funding for development projects and said their speedy implementation would facilitate achievement of the government’s objective of high growth, besides bringing about progress and economic well being for the people of the country. He also stressed expeditious resolution of issues that hindered any project’s realisation.

The finance minister also reviewed preparations for Pakistani delegation’s participation in the Asian Development Bank’s 50th annual meeting, being held from May 4 to May 7 in Yokohama, Japan. Senior officials of the EAD and Finance Division attended the meeting.

It may be mentioned here that the ADB board of governors holds an annual meeting to discuss development in Asia-Pacific as well as institutional matters.