WB delegation meets CM, agrees to enhance cooperation

LAHORE: A World Bank (WB) delegation, led by its country director Najy Benhassine, called on Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar at his office on Tuesday.

The meeting agreed to enhance cooperation while discussing progress made on different initiatives of infrastructural development.

The CM promised to achieve different targets, saying that the World Bank was the most important development partner of the provincial government and vowed to achieve the targets of development framework 2022-26. The government welcome the WB assistance and the cooperation will also be continued in future, he added.

The government was working on a plan to overcome children’s nutritional deficiency while health and educational facilities were being improved at grassroots. He informed that universal health coverage program will be extended to every citizen of the province by December 2021.

The government will also take benefit from the experience of WB experts for promoting the use of latest agriculture technology to assist the farmers, he added and pointed out that incentives given to the construction sector have promoted business activities. Similarly, ease of doing business has also been ensured, he further said.

Najy Benhassine stated that the World Bank will further enhance its cooperation with the Punjab government while continuing to work for the improvement of different sectors.

Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, provincial ministers Mian Mahmood ur Rasheed, Sibtain Khan, Hussain Jahania Gardezi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mohsin Leghari, Hashim Jawan Bakht, Col. (r) Muhammad Anwar, Raja Yasir Humayun, Murad Raas, Sardar Asif Nakai, Akhtar Malik, Sardar Husnain Bahadur Dreshak, Ansar Majeed Niazi, Bao Rizwan, Advisors Dr Salman Shah, Asif Mahmood, SACM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, chief secretary, SMBR, Chairman P&D and administrative secretaries were also present.