Government needs Rs 230 billion loans, Rs 30 billion grants for uplift programme

Pakistan will acquire Rs 229.824 billion foreign assistance in the shape of loans from international financial institutions and different countries for the next fiscal year to execute its development programme.
The finance division of the federal government has estimated an overall outlay of Rs 229.685 billion development loans and Rs 29.958 billion development grants, while non-development grants estimates stand at Rs 180 million for the fiscal 2007-08.
The development assistance for the next fiscal year is Rs 20.327 billion higher than current fiscal 2006-07 estimates, current year government''s budgetary estimates of foreign assistance stood at Rs 239.316 billion but revised estimates show Rs 281.593 billion.
For the next fiscal year, the government has estimated Rs 66.603 billion loans from foreign institutions for project, including Rs 26.826 billion for federal projects, Rs 15.649 billion for autonomous bodies and Rs 24.127 billion for provinces.
Foreign projects grant stands for 2007-08 estimates Rs 3.471 billion, including Rs 1.506 billion for federal departments and Rs 1.965 billion for provinces.
The finance department has estimated Rs 125.791 billion loans for commodity aid (non-food) and Rs 37.290 billion for other aid, while for food aid no grant has been estimated against the current fiscal year''s revised food grant of Rs 730 million.
According to plan, the Asian Development (ADB) would provide Rs 56.6 billion loans and Rs 870.1 million grants, United Arab Emirates Rs 3 billion loans, China Rs 5.301 billion loans and Rs 448.25 million grants, Canada Rs 559.35 million grants, European Union Rs 1.09 billion grants.
Loans from Eurobonds estimated at Rs 31.075 billion, loans from France Rs 1.935 billion, from Germany Rs 800 million and Rs 734.64 million grants and loans from International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) estimated at Rs 800.558 million.
In addition, loans and grants from International Bank for Reconstruction & Development (ABRD) are estimated at Rs 3.434 billion, International Development Association (IDA) Rs 102.139 billion, Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Rs 16.474 billion, Japan Rs 4.118 billion, Korea Rs 1.071 billion, Kuwait Rs 986.5 million, Norway 101.2 million, Saudi Arabia Rs 2.486 billion, and Switzerland Rs 526 million.
Similarly, loans and grants from United Kingdom (UK) are estimated at Rs 7.647 billion, United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) Rs 203.650 million, United Nation International Children Emergency Fund (Unicef) Rs 198.2 million, USA Rs 12.721 billion, World Food Programme (WFP) Rs 186.685 million, Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) 1.725 billion and from Agency Franchise Development (AFD) Rs 1.295 billion.
Non-plan resources have been estimated at Rs 1.111 billion, including Rs 1.087 billion grants from Oman and Rs 24 million grants from EU, while Rs 180 million has been estimated as non-development grants for the next fiscal year.