ISLAMABAD, Sept 7: The World Bank is preparing another $54 million credit to Pakistan to fight polio in 2005-2006 in addition to a $40 million already provided to the country to eradicate the disease. This was disclosed by the World Bank country director, John W. Wall, in his remarks at the launch of Pakistan Taraqee Bazaar (Pakistan Development Marketplace) here on Wednesday.
He said the first ever Pakistan Development Marketplace was designed to reduce the incidence and impact of disability through small grants and knowledge sharing.
The objectives of Pakistan Development Marketplace are to identify and support innovative approaches which could improve the lives of the disabled, heighten public visibility of issues relevant to persons with disabilities and the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities, create new networks for knowledge sharing and build a consortium of grantees, grant- makers, in-kind contributors and champions to further the disability agenda in Pakistan.
Since 1998, the World Bank’s global Development Marketplace programme has awarded $40 million to more than 1,000 ground-breaking projects in over 70 countries.
Country level Development Marketplaces (CDMs) are “mini marketplaces” for innovative ideas that address local development challenges. Like the global competition, they consist of a competitive, juried process that awards small grants to social innovators.
John W. Wall said the World Bank in Pakistan was working on a variety of fronts aimed at improving service delivery and influencing a national dialogue on disability rights.
He said most recently, the bank had been working in partnership with the Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education on Draft Plan for Persons with Disabilities.
Speaking on the occasion, Federal Minister for Special Education and Social Welfare Zobaida Jalal said that a National Plan of Action on Persons with Disabilities will be launched soon. She said the plan had been prepared in consultation with development partners and stake-holders.
She said the government was also in the process of implementing two per cent quota for people with disabilities in the government jobs. “A summary has already been sent to the cabinet which is expected to approve it soon and send it to parliament for legislation,” she added.
The minister said the government was giving due attention to the issue of persons with disabilities. At present, 51 federal special education centres, 200 provincial government centres in all the four provinces and 200 NGOs are vigorously working in the field of reduction, prevention and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.
She said the government also extended financial and technical support to the provincial governments and NGOs working for persons with disabilities. She pointed out that the Federal Public Service Commission last year allowed the visually impaired to sit in the competitive examinations.
She said five model vocational training centres for disabled persons had been established, one each in the federal capital territory and all the four provinces. She said community-based rehabilitation projects were also successfully in operation at Islamabad, Karachi and Gujrat. She said the first ever park in Asia had been reserved for persons with disabilities.
Zobaida Jalal observed that the idea of Pakistan Development Marketplace will help create awareness among the policy-makers, planners, implementors, stakeholders and particularly civil society organizations. This will also help generate resources from the philanthropists for providing assistance to the persons with disabilities.
She appreciated the World Bank for coming up with the programme and helping the more challenged people to be part of the mainstream development and economic growth of Pakistan.
She said the government will support all kind of initiatives taken by the bank for providing a better place to the challenged people to live a more dignified life in Pakistan.
Renowned singer Jawad Ahmad, who was appointed by the Unicef as ambassador on fight against polio and has now agreed to work with the World Bank for the people with disabilities, in his remarks said disability was not inability. He said everybody experiences disability in life in one form or the other. “I find myself disable at times,” he stated.
He said the real problem in Pakistan was creating awareness and assured that he will try to play his role in this mission.
