KARACHI: ADB keen to invest in urban projects - $50m promised
KARACHI, July 8: The City District Government Karachi would soon start four mega projects of roads and flyovers in Karachi while six mass transit corridors have been designed for an improved transport system
and to provide better commuting facilities to the people.
This was stated by Nazim Karachi Naimatullah Khan while talking to a review mission of the Asian Development Bank which met him here on Thursday. Naimatullah Khan informed the delegation that for one of the mass transit corridors (from Sohrab Goth to Tower), an agreement had been concluded with a Chinese firm while for five other corridors, investment on their construction on BOT basis would be encouraged.
The Nazim Karachi said there was a need for improving the city's transport system for which the City Government was taking preferential measures. He said a project was being implemented for replacement of 25 to 30-year-old buses with CNG buses.
The ADB mission evinced keen interest in the City District Government projects and said that the bank was examining investment possibilities in development projects of Karachi.
City Nazim Naimatullah Khan informed that the ADB's interest in the city projects, along with the Japan Bank and the World Bank, was a good omen as participation of banks in the city projects would bring fast economic progress.
He pointed out that despite civic problems, Karachi had the distinction of being the gateway to Asia, Central Asia and Middle East. Highlighting the civic problems, the City Nazim referred to the need for an improved water supply and sewerage system.
He informed that the coastal development plans would be started with the cooperation of private sector while the city government had prepared schemes for resolving the problems of Katchi Abadis.
Naimatullah said that our effort was to launch these projects on BOT basis. DCO Mir Hussain Ali told the ADB team that Karachi had the highest unemployment ratio and planning was under way to develop industrial zones in various parts of the city so that job opportunities could be created.
The ADB team told the city government that it can start work on various projects if a green signal was given. They informed that ADB's annual country programming mission was visiting various cities of Pakistan from July 1-17 so as to finalize its investment programme for 2005-07 after consultations with the stake-holders.
The meeting was attended by Country Director ADB, Naveed Hamid and Economist Tad Ateru Hayashi, besides DCO Mir Hussain Ali, EDO Works Shoaib Siddiqi, EDO Finance Iqbal Ahsan Zaidi, DO Public Housing Rustam Ali Khan, DO Public Transport and Management Operation Mohammed Athar and other officers.
Meanwhile, an ADB team, headed by Naveed Hamid, Sr. Economic Advisor of the bank, on Thursday held meeting with Sindh Chief Secretary Mohammad Aslam Sanjrani and discussed the launching of Basic Urban Service Project.
The meeting was informed that the Asian Development Bank would provide US$50 million to the Sindh government for launching Basic Urban Services Project in various towns of the province.
This project includes provision of water supply, sewerage and sanitation facilities in the towns. The ADB would also be funding coastal development, water sector programmes and certain mega city projects during the year 2006. The team discussed the progress of ADB-funded road sector, rural development and devolved social services programmes. -APP/PPI
