ISLAMABAD, April 12: An audit report has detected slow implementation, under-utilisation of funds and ineffective coordination between stakeholders in the Rs39.785 million Jafakash Aurat project.

The project was launched in partnership between the Ministry of Women Development and the Khushali Bank for reducing poverty through a micro-credit programme in Gwadar district.

The project started with an objective to enable rural women to supplement their livelihood by creating strong linkage between micro-credit and skill development.

One of the aims was to provide skill and enterprise training to 3,500 rural women and create 2,000 direct and 8,000 indirect jobs through extending micro credit to trained rural women.

Till the completion of audit in April 2007, only 364 rural women were trained and micro credit facility was extended to 25 rural women in the district.

According to the 2006-07 report forwarded to the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, local women were not informed of the opportunities coming up as a result of current development activities in Gwadar.

Focus should have been to understand current development programmes, forecast future trends and link the capital market with local opportunities.

Instead, decision-making was given into the hands of local women who were unaware of future market needs of the Gwadar Port.

The report said that almost 98 per cent women repaid loans, but loans were disbursed without imparting any training to them in the first place.

According to the report, the Ministry of Women Development made an agreement with the Khushali Bank Limited, Gwadar branch, and released Rs21.8 million for execution of the project.

The bank had, however, utilised only 1.165 per cent of the amount.

Due to non-utilisation of funds, the objectives of the project were not achieved.

The report cited non-availability of women staff for non-utilisation of the funds.

The report recommended revisiting training need assessment, conduct impact assessment, charging the correct mark-up, and improving coordination with stakeholders to expedite the disbursement process.