ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday asked the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) to frame a detailed proposal on diversification of funding sources so that a maximum number of needy persons are extended financial help.

Currently, the World Bank is the major source of funds for the PPAF operations.

The directive came after a briefing on the performance of PPAF by its Chief Exe­cu­tive Officer Qazi Azmat Isa.

Mr Dar said that the government had regularly been providing finances for undertaking its obligations and would continue to do so in the future.

Qazi Azmat Isa briefed the meeting about various initiatives aimed at poverty alleviation. He mentioned PPAF activities in various districts in the sphere of social welfare, education, health services, water and infrastructure projects.

Outlining key accomplishments of the PPAF, he said that the fund had completed 33,000 health, education, water and infrastructure projects, disbursed over Rs7.1 million micro-credit loans, with 59pc loans going to women and 80pc financing extended to rural areas.

The PPAF has also organised over 17,000 skill development and managerial training events for 918,000 individuals (51pc women trainees).

The fund has facilitated over 1.8 million households affected by natural disasters.

It managed reconstruction of 122,000 seismically-safe houses in the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake, the CEO further said.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2015

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