Sindh government, Jica to launch Rs4.16bn home-based female workers' well-being projects

The Sindh government and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have agreed to launch two different projects for improvement of livelihood and well-being of female home-based workers and establishment of Maternal and Child health Centre at Liaquat University Hospital, Jamshoro worth Rs4.16 billion.

The JICA would also provide technical and engineering solution of traffic congestion in Karachi.

This decision was taken in a meeting between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and President JICA Shinichi Kitaoka accompanied by Consul General of Japan Toshikazu Isomura, Hiroo Tanaka Chief Secretary of President Office, Shone Hara Director General of South Asia Dept, Nobuhiro Kawatani Director South Asia HQs and others.

The chief minister was assisted by Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary health Zahid Abbasi, Secretary School Education Khalid Hyder Shah, Secretary Livestock and others.

The chief minister said that his government has submitted a concept paper of the project, Improvement of Livelihood and well being of female Home-based workers. The concept paper was approved in the larger interest of female workers. Therefore, he wanted the project may be approved so that it could be started in 2020.

The President JICA approved the project to be started in 2020 and its completion would be in 2023. The overall size of the project has been estimated at Rs541.086 million of which JICA's share would be Rs435.729 million. The remaining amount would be utilised by Sindh government.

The project is about improving the livelihood skills and managerial abilities of female home-abased workers and mainstreaming them in formal labour market.

MCH Centre: Another project which came under discussion was the establishment of Maternal and Child Health Centre at Liaquat University Jamshoro. The cost of the project would be Rs3623.040 million of which JICA's share would come to Rs181.152 million and rest of the major amount would be provided by the provincial government.

The project was approved in the meeting and would be started in 2020 and expected to be completed within two years, 2022.

Traffic Solution: The chief minister told the JICA's high power delegation that the issues of traffic congestion in the city of Karachi was on the increase day by day. The widening of roads and construction of flyovers and underpasses have served very little to resolve the issue.

He said that the best traffic engineering was the only solution to resolve the issue. At this the JICA President assured the chief minister that his experts would provide traffic engineering solution of the city. He added that his team would survey the roads and conduct the study so that a solid solution could be given.

Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem would coordinate with JICA team for starting survey and study.

The JICA delegation also assured the Sindh government that it would support it in urban transport development.

The meeting also reviewed the progress of JICA sponsored projects. They are as follows:

Livestock Project: The chairman P&D briefing the meeting said that Sustainable Livestock Development in Rural areas of the Sindh project was launched in 2013 for Rs910 million with Rs227.06 million Sindh government's share.