The US continues to be the single largest provider of grant assistance to Pakistan despite the recent tensions between the two countries in the wake of the Salala attack which killed 24 soldiers. Well-placed sources told Business Recorder here on Monday that the US had always remained the major grant/assistance provider to Pakistan.
"From July to March 2012 (till date) US remained the largest grant provider to the country by disbursing 112.04 million dollars to the country. Out of this grant 112.04 million dollars, 2.7 million dollars have been released from Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration, US, 2.9 million dollars from US OFDA (Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance), 105.7 million dollars from USAID, and 0.5 million dollars have been released by US Department for Agriculture (USDA). The Asian Develop-ment Bank (ADB) and the World Bank have extended higher assistance to Pakistan from July to March 2012 relative to US by releasing 471.1 million dollars and 240.7 million dollars respectively.
"However the releases made by the multilateral institutions are 'loan-based' assistance while the assistance provided by US is 'non-loan' assistance that in other terms is called 'grant'", sources added. US also provided the major grant to Pakistan last year. The data available with this scribe shows that US disbursed 136.5 million dollars to Pakistan during the first three quarters of the financial year 2010-11 and was the largest grant assistance provider to Pakistan.
"Unfortunately, the grant received from US in first nine months (till date) of the current fiscal year is less than the amount received during the first three quarters of 2010-11, but it is a fact that the US is still the largest grant provider to the country", sources said. Pakistan has been receiving civilian (Kerry Lugar Bill) as well as the military aid (Coalition Support Fund) from US.
Sources said that from October 1, 2009 through December 31, 2011, US had disbursed 2.5 billion dollars under Kerry Lugar Bill while funding for projects in excess of one billion dollar had been agreed between Pakistan and US. Sources revealed that economic managers of Pakistan had estimated about 1.3 billion dollars inflows from the US under CSF for 2011-12 and both the countries are currently negotiating regarding disbursement under this head.
"It is a fact that Pakistan has not received even a single penny under CSF after May 2011 from the US but now the government is hopeful that during the current fiscal year, there would be some disbursement to Pakistan under CSF", sources maintained.