The UK has chalked out a plan to double its assistance to Pakistan in the next four years by scaling it up to 446 million pounds or Rs 62 billion per year by 2015, but the increase will be linked to progress in transparency, accountability and eradication of corruption.
"The UK stands ready to potentially more than double its aid to Pakistan over the next four years. However, any increase will be linked to the choices and progress Pakistan makes to deliver economic growth, increase transparency and accountability, and raise revenues to invest in vital services for poor people," said British High Commissioner Adam Thomson here on Wednesday. "We want to help Pakistan to unlock its potential on the global stage and a flourishing Pakistan is in UK''s interest," he added.
He said that by 2015 Pakistan would have largest UK aid program in the world but it depends on the steps taken by Pakistan. He also noted that UK has deep family, historic and business ties with Pakistan. Currently, Pakistan is the second largest aid recipient from the Department of International development (DFID), after Ethiopia.
"Corruption is clearly an issue," said Thomson, adding that the environment in which DFID is working will determine "whether or not we double the aid since we have to persuade the British taxpayers that ''it was worth doing it'' ". When asked about the level of satisfaction with regard to transparency in aid utilisation under the ongoing DFID programmes, Thomson said that there was a "high degree of confidence on the way money is being spent". Flanked by George Turkington, DFID head in Pakistan, the British High Commissioner pronounced the plan to more than double assistance at a press briefing after UK aid to the developing world received a major jolt as announced by UK International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell, the other day.
Regarding target areas for aid, George Turkington said that education is the UK''s top priority since Pakistan faces an education emergency. "We will help get more than four million children into school, recruit and train an additional 90,000 new teachers, and provide more than six million text books in the coming years 2015," he added. Health, economy, democracy and governance are the other sectors identified as important for UK assistance.
Talking about health, the DFID head said that women and children are UK''s top priority. "We will prevent 3,600 mothers'' deaths in childbirth, save lives of 110,000 children by expanding basic community health services, prevent half-a-million children from becoming undernourished, and get another 400,000 couples using contraceptives".
The initial focus would be on Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. "However, our programme would be expanded across the country," he added. With respect to economy and financial inclusion, he said: "We will help another 1.5 million poor people--more than half of them women--access microfinance loans to enable them to set up their business and lift themselves out of poverty, expand branchless banking to another three million people, enable another 4000 loans to small and medium businesses, and fund jobs and skills training for 125,000 poor people in Punjab".
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