Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that his government was striving hard to make healthy, wealthy and developed Sindh. "My each and every move is in that direction but this all would be possible when donor agencies like World Bank show some interest to take up important projects."
This he said this talking to a high power 9-member delegation of the World Bank led by its CEO Kristalina Georgieva, called on him on Saturday. The other members include Vice President South Asia Annette Dixon, Country Director Pakistan Patchamuthu Illangovan, Director Strategy & Operation Franz Drees-Gross, Programme Leader Inamula Haq and others. The chief minister was assisted by Minister for P&D Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Minister Transport Mumtaz Jakhrani, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, ACS (dev) M Waseem, Secretary Energy Agha Wasif, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi and others.
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that the Sukkur Barrage is a life-line of agro-economy of Sindh. It's serving the people of Sindh for last 83 years and now it has completed its logical age. "We have one option either to rehabilitate it or construct a new barrage. Construction of new barrage would be inevitable even if the present one is rehabilitated," he said and added that he was not only talking about rehabilitation or reconstruction of Sukkur Barrage but the entire canal system needs to be rehabilitated.
The CEO of the World Bank said that she had gone through the case that Sindh government has filed with World Bank. The World Bank was in favour of supporting Sindh but it has to be decided whether the rehabilitation or the reconstruction of the barrage project may be taking up. On this the World bank Country Director said he was in need of some more papers and details of the study of the barrage so that World Bank could take a final decision. The bank is agreed to support Sindh, he said. The Chief Minister thanked the visiting team and directed ACS (Dev) Waseem to coordinate with World Bank country office in Islamabad and furnish them necessary documents for making the case more strong.
ACS (Dev) Mohammad Waseem briefing the World Bank team on Stunting said that the Sindh government with the support of UNICEF had conducted a Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS) which had made some startling disclosures.
The survey says that shortage of necessary nutrients among the girls before their marriage and during pregnancy, the growth of mothers and new born children is affected badly.
Chief Minister said that his government has worked out a nutrition plan to provide micro nutrients to the children right from their birth till the age of 5 and to their mothers. Even these supplements would also be given to girls who attain the age of marriage.
He added that under the plan the stunting and wasting rate would be brought down by 5 percent within the first 5 years of the Nutrition Programme and another 5 percent in successive 5 year programme.
The World Bank team made a commitment of $63 million to finance the Sindh Nutrition Programme.
The ACS (Dev) briefing the visiting team said the Sindh government has envisage an `Ease of Doing Business Programme' under which a one-window facility for businessmen and investors would be developed at Board of Investment.
Syed Murad Ali Shah said that presently an investor has to make multiple trips of 12 departments to get NoCs for investment or expanding business activities.
The One-Widow Operation would facilitate the investors and businessmen to get the required formalities completed without moving from one table to other and one department to other. The World Bank team made a commitment to prepare a Web Portal for Sindh government to start Ease of Doing Business Programme.
Chief Minister said the World Bank had agreed to finance $100 million to restore old city (Karachi) areas right from Pakistan Chowk to Empress Market. Under this project the roads, water supply, drainage line, buildings, parks had to be rehabilitated.
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