Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that with the support of the World Bank his government wants to work in areas of human capital, poverty reduction, stunning, revenue mobilisation and economic reforms.
He was talking to World Bank Country Director Najy Benhassine at the CM’s House on Friday, said a statement. The director 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 of $3.25 billion, including $1.64 billion ongoing and $1.605 billion in the pipeline.
The chief minister said that five projects were scheduled to close during the currently financial year.
They include Sindh Agriculture Growth Project of $86 million, Sindh Irrigation Agriculture Productivity Enhancement Project of $76 million, Public Sector Management Reform of $50 million, Sindh Enhanced Response to Reduce Stunting $187 million and Karachi Neighborhood Improvement Program (KNIP) $86 million.
Syed Murad Ali Shah said that 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, 2021, 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 world bank include Sindh Water & Agricultural Transformation, Sindh Early Warning Enhancement Through Class Room Transformation.
Syed Murad Ali Shah urged the country director of the world bank 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 that 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 that 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 World Bank.
The World Bank country chief said that 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.