Social protection: World Bank’s $200m Punjab project makes little progress

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank “Punjab Human Capital Investment Project (PHCIP)” worth $200 million made limited progress in the implementation of the components on social protection, education, and health.

The bank has rated the progress towards achievement of the PDO and overall implementation progress as moderately unsatisfactory, while the overall project risk rating as substantial.

The bank documents revealed that the project development objective was to increase the utilization of quality health services, and economic and social inclusion programmes, among poor and vulnerable households in select districts in Punjab.

PLUS project discussed with World Bank representatives

The project components included health services quality and utilisation (cost $115 million), economic and social inclusion (cost $65 million), and efficiency and sustainability through social protection services delivery system and project management (cost $20 million).

The project made limited progress in the implementation of the components on social protection, education and health. Key activities in progress include the upgradation of healthcare facilities; renovation of ECE classrooms; beneficiary registration for the Health CCT and Economic Inclusion (EI) component; and cash and asset disbursement to the registered beneficiaries. Overall disbursement and expenditure remain low due to delays in procurement, limited social mobilisation, and challenges of timely payments to the beneficiaries.

Actions to expedite include completion of key procurements by March 15, 2023; improvement in the cash disbursements mechanism; and the introduction of a predictable and enhanced monthly payment have been agreed with the Government of Punjab, documents noted.

The sponsoring agency of the PHCIP is the government of Punjab through the World Bank -International Development Agency and in-kind counterpart funding. The signing, as well as the effectiveness date of the project, is 18th May 2020, whereas, the closing date of the loan agreement is 30th June 2025.

The total cost of the approved project is $330 million where $200 million will be provided by World Bank and $130 million from counterpart funding.

The spread of the Punjab Human Capital Investment Project (PHCIP) is over 11 Districts of Punjab including Muzaffargarh, Bahawalpur, Rajanpur, DG Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Bahawalnagar, Lodhran, Layyah, and Khushab. The implementing partners of the projects are Punjab Social Protection Authority (PSPA), the Primary and Secondary Health Department (PSHD), and Punjab School Education Department (SED). The gestation period of the project is from 2021 till 2025 and the lead agency for the PaHCIP is the PSPA.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023