ISLAMABAD, Dec 20: Pakistan obtained loans worth almost $9 billion from 1999 till 2004 from international public financial institutions and other sources, said finance ministry officials.

According to the official figures, the bigger chunk of loans was taken from international lending institutions, including the Asian Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the IDA, the IFAD, the IBRD, the Opec Fund and the IMF, amounting to $8.363 billion. The loans have to be repaid over a period of 39 years with interest rates going up to 6.31 per cent in some instances.

The amount of loans taken from donor countries amounted to $523 million with interest rates ranging between 1.5 per cent and 6.835 per cent. The loans from the donor countries would be repayable over a period of 30 years. The government also raised $500 million from private financial institutions by floating the Eurobond on February 12 this year.

The bilateral loans of $523 million were obtained from China, the UAE, Spain, Austria, Australia, Sweden, US and Australia. The bilateral loans were obtained for import of wheat (Australia); procurement and technology transfer of 1,300 freighter wagons (China); Duber Khwar Hydropower Project (UAE); Quetta Water Supply Scheme (UAE); Greater Karachi Water Supply Project (UAE); Allia Khwar Hydropower Project (UAE); Gomal Zam Dam Project (UAE); Pak-Swiss Training Centre Karachi (Spain); procurement of UIC-54 railways (China); sale, construction and purchase of Naltar Hydropower Project (China); procurement of 175 passenger wagons (China); procurement of heavy track equipment railway (Austria); Neelam Valley Hydro Electric Power Project (Sweden); and financing of agricultural commodities (US).

The details of loans obtained from public financial institutions show that the government financed import of wheat and petroleum products from the lender's money in addition to undertaking other projects. The following are the names of the projects for which the government took loans amounting to $8.3 billion followed by the lending agency in brackets:

Women's Health Project (ADB); Punjab Irrigation Project (ADB); for import of wheat (US CCC); for import of petroleum products (IDB); Energy Sector Restructuring Programme (ADB); Capacity Enhancement in Energy Sector (ADB); Micro Finance Sector Development Programme (ADB); NWFP Barani Areas Development Project (ADB); Trade and Transport Facility Project (IDA); Structural Adjustment Credit (IDA); FATA Development Project (IFAD); Standby Arrangement (IMF); Women's Health Project (Opec Fund); Nust Expansion Project (IDB); Access to Justice Programme (ADB); NWFP Urban Dev Sector Project (ADB); Road Sector Development Programme (ADB); Agriculture Sector Programme-II (ADB); NWFP On Farm Water Management Project (IDA); Banking Sector Restructuring and Privatization Project (IDA); Second Structural Adjustment Credit (IDA); Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility 2001 (IMF); Kohat Tunnel Construction Project-II (Japan-JBIC); Railways Development Project (Opec Fund); Rural Finance Sector Development Programme (ADB); Decentralization Support Programme (ADB); Local Government Performance Enhancement Project (ADB); Gender and Governance Mainstreaming Project (ADB); Decentralization Support Programme (ADB); Punjab Community Water Supply (ADB); Financial (Non-Bank) Markets and Governance Programme (ADB); Sindh Rural Development Project (ADB); Strengthening Pension, Insurance and Saving System (ADB); Strengthening Regulations Enforcement (ADB); Reproductive Health Project (ADB): Punjab Road Development Sector Project (ADB); Decentralized Elementary Education Project (ADB); Sindh Structural Adjustment Credit (IDA); NWFP Structural Adjustment Credit (IDA); Banking Sector Technical Assistance Project (IDA); Polio Eradication Project (IDA); Kohat Tunnel Construction-II (JBIC); SME Sector Development Project (ADB); Sindh Devolved Social Services Project (ADB); Community Development and Poverty Reduction (ADB); Balochistan Road Development Sector Project (ADB); Punjab Supporting Resource Management Reforms (ADB); Southern Punjab Basic Urban Services Project (ADB); Highways Rehabilitation Project (IBRD); National Education Assessment System (IDA); Public Sector Capacity Building Project (IDA); Punjab Education Sector Adjustment (IDA); Second Poverty Alleviation Fund (IDA); and Community Development Programme (IFAD).