Mr. Nadeem Babar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for the Petroleum Division, discussed the implementation of energy sector reforms. Secretary for the Economic Affairs Division Mr. Noor Ahmed, ADB Senior Advisor for Central and West Asia Mr. Muhammad Ehsan Khan, ADB Country Director for Pakistan Ms. Xiaohong Yang, and ADB’s Director for Regional Cooperation and Operations Mr. Safdar Parvez also discussed challenges and the priorities that the country partnership strategy should address.
Representatives of the provincial governments of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Baluchistan outlined key features of their development and growth strategies.
ADB Country Director for Pakistan Ms. Xiaohong Yang (leftmost) speaking at a consultation meeting to discuss ADB's new country partnership strategy for Pakistan. (Source: ADB)
“The new country partnership strategy is being formulated at an important juncture. ADB’s concessionary and result-oriented assistance will strengthen the government’s efforts to address fiscal imbalances in the energy sector through meaningful and robust reform programs and development projects,” said Mr. Babar. “The consultations today signify the enduring partnership between the government and the people of Pakistan and ADB, and ADB’s vital support to Pakistan in overcoming these development challenges.”
The purpose of ADB's 5-year CPS is to define priorities and to support Pakistan’s development goals. The new strategy will also complement efforts by other development partners.
“ADB’s partnership strategy will be aligned with the government's development vision and policies, and is expected to introduce new approaches to development financing in urban services, energy security, transport, agriculture and water resources, education, trade, and tourism,” said Ms. Yang. “It will prioritize innovation, analytical support, public–private partnership, and the application of new technologies. ADB plans to provide about USD2.1 billion out of USD3.4 billion funds to support Pakistan’s reform and development programs during fiscal year 2019–2020."
In addition to public sector investments, ADB will continue to increase its private sector operations in Pakistan to stimulate growth and revitalize exports.
The new CPS will also support the roadmap for Pakistan's economic linkages with its neighboring countries, particularly through the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program.
In the next stage, more detailed strategic consultation meetings will be held in the provinces with the local governments and other stakeholders including academia, civil society, the private sector, and other development partners.
ADB has planned to support Pakistan with indicative lending of up to USD10 billion for various development projects and programs during the next five years.
Pakistan became a founding member of ADB in 1966 and since then has received USD32 billion in project assistance. The country has since been working with ADB to strengthen its key infrastructure, social services, and economic growth./.