ISLAMABAD: Two Executive Directors of Asian Development Bank (ADB), Dr Wan Farisan Bin Wan Sulaiman (representing Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore and Thailand) and Noor Ahmed (representing Kazakhstan, Maldives, Marshall Island, Magnolia, Pakistan, Philippines and Timor-Leste) will be visiting Pakistan from May 14-21, 2022.
During the visit, the Executive Directors will hold meetings with Ministers and senior Federal and Provincial government officials.
The Board of Directors, among other business, sets policy direction for ADB and takes decisions on approval of loans, guarantees, investments and technical assistance by ADB to developing member countries.
ADB has requested Economic Affairs Division’s assistance in facilitating the visit and in arranging the requested meetings for both the Executive Directors.
The delegation will discuss ADB’s programme, portfolio and prevailing situation and economic situation with Bank’s own top management in Pakistan. In addition, the team will discuss country economic situation, ADB-IMF coordination and ongoing Extended Fund Facility and World Bank on alignment and sector reforms projects.
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The delegation will visit Murree for a site visit to access to clean energy RBL in Murree/Nathiagali area. Under access to clean energy programme, ADB is financing solarisation of government schools and health centres across Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
The delegation will also hold site visit to BISP Social Protection Program Centre in Murree/Nathiagali area, site visit to PSOD funder hydropower project at Patrind near Muzaffargarh and expressway-35 (co-financed by FCDO (formerly DFID) under the Pakistan Economic Corridor Development Programme (PECP). The team will also visit Peshawar for project site visit of ADB’s financed Bus Rapid Mass Transit System.
In meeting with Finance Minister, discussion will broadly cover country’s macroeconomic conditions, challenges and policies, ongoing IMF programme, debt sustainability, medium term fiscal framework including domestic resource mobilization and ADB’S potential role.
The delegation will also meet Minister for Power and his team to discuss country’s energy sector challenges, ADB’s energy programme, sector reforms and way forward.
In meeting with Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, the team will discuss government’s development priorities, ADB’S assistance pipeline and programme, implementation challenges, government projects planning and approval cycle, and Successful COVID control responses by GoP and post-Covid recovery roadmap.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022