ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has signed two agreements with the government to extend $500 million worth of two separate loans to Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Economic Affairs Division in a statement said on Wednesday that World Bank’s Country Director Najy Benhassine and Dr Kazim Niaz, Secretary EAD signed the financing agreements on behalf of the respective sides.

The loans pertained to Punjab Resilient and Inclusive Agriculture Transformation Project worth $200 million and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Accessibility Project worth $300 million.

The $200m Punjab project is designed to enhance equitable access to, and productivity of, agricultural water and improve the incomes of farmers, particularly small and medium landholders. The project is expected to contribute to transforming Punjab’s agriculture into a more inclusive, productive, sustainable, and market-oriented sector.

The project will help the Government of Punjab in addressing low water access equity and high on-farm water losses, low on-farm productivity, limited crop diversification toward high-value crops and away from more water-intensive crops, and low adoption of climate-smart production practices and limited market opportunities for small and medium farmers.

The $300m KP project is aimed to improve safe and climate-resilient rural accessibility to schools, health facilities and markets in the province. The project interventions will help the KP government in upgrading and rehabilitation of provincial roads, improvement of climate resilience of infrastructure, including the raising of embankments, provision of side drains, bridges, improvement of culverts, ditches, vegetation and improvement of road safety infrastructure and equipment in the vicinity of schools, health facilities and marketplaces.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2022

Follow Dawn Business on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

Opinion

Editorial

Dar in Kabul
Updated 22 Apr, 2025

Dar in Kabul

Kabul must ensure that the TTP and other anti-Pakistan groups are put out of business.
Ready to talk
22 Apr, 2025

Ready to talk

ADVISER to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah’s phone calls to Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon regarding...
Grassroots governance
22 Apr, 2025

Grassroots governance

WHEN something as basic as a functioning union council is absent in over a quarter of Balochistan’s areas more ...
Middle East carnage
Updated 21 Apr, 2025

Middle East carnage

It seems that to many in the world, people of Yemen and occupied Palestine are not human.
A new page
21 Apr, 2025

A new page

FOREIGN Secretary Amna Baloch’s trip to Dhaka has breathed new life into Pakistan’s long-dormant relationship...
No stone unturned
21 Apr, 2025

No stone unturned

WHILE the absence of new polio cases since Feb 10 is welcome news, this pause in transmission must not breed...