ISLAMABAD, Dec 3: The World Bank (WB) is interested in promoting public-private partnership for the development of social sector in Pakistan.

This was stated by the WB's South Asia Energy and Infrastructure Unit chief, Clive Harris, in a meeting with Federal Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Justice (retired) Abdul Razzaq Thahim.

Mr Harris, a leading infrastructure specialist, is visiting Pakistan as the head of a WB mission to study and explore the possibility of public-private sector partnership in various schemes of development, particularly those in the field of health, education, information technology and communication.

He said there was a good opportunity for investment in the development of the social sector as the present government was already working in this respect. The federal minister appreciated the efforts and the idea of World Bank regarding public-private partnership in development works and activities.

Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, he said, was interested in collaboration with the WB for launching various development schemes in urban and rural areas of the country.

Under the Tameer-i-Pakistan Programme, Mr Thahim said, more than 10,000 development schemes were initiated of which more than 50 per cent had already been completed. The present government has granted Rs5 billion for the development of infrastructure in rural and urban areas, he added.

He said his ministry was ready to assist the WB mission in its study and research work to explore the possibility of private-public partnership. The minister suggested that the WB should constitute a team to monitor the pace of development projects being funded by it.