ISLAMABAD, Jan 3: The international donor agencies have decided to expedite their financial support to Pakistan following the adoption of 17th Constitutional Amendment Bill , and as a first step, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will release two tranches worth $120 million ahead of time.

"Donor agencies welcome government-opposition successful talks that will pave the way for accelerated international financial support for Pakistan, specially during the year 2004," said ADB Country Director for Pakistan Marshuk Ali Shah.

Talking to Dawn here on Saturday, he said $70 million would be disbursed ahead of time in January for the devolution of civil services project in Sindh. Similarly, the ADB was likely to extend the second tranche of $50 million for Access to Justice Programme by March this year, out of $350 million project.

He said the bank had disbursed $150 million last year for Access to Justice Programme but the new funding was delayed due to various reasons, including the slow process of police reforms and setting up of subordinate courts.

Mr Shah called upon the government to implement various other initiatives, including the establishment of an independent prosecution service, public safety commissions, provincial complaints authorities, institutional protection legislation and setting up of consumer councils in Islamabad for the release of remaining assistance under Access to Justice Programme.

The ADB, he pointed out, would also accelerate funding for $270 million Decentralization Support Programme during 2004. Most of this funding, he said, would go directly into the federal budget to create the fiscal space for meeting the costs of decentralization. He added $23 million technical assistance had been allocated specifically for local government performance enhancement.

The bank, he said, would also provide an assistance package of roughly $500 million over a three-years period to support the Punjab Resource Management Programme. This programme includes support for wide-ranging fiscal and financial reforms, improved institutional managements for sustainable and pro-poor public services, administrative restructuring of the government and human resource development, and creating opportunities for growth and employment generation through private sector development.

In addition, Mr Shah said, the ADB, in consultation with the government, had a number of both investment-and policy-based operations totalling over $500 million, planned for Punjab during 2003-06 period. These include a Southern Punjab Basic Urban Services Project, a third Barani Area Development project, a Rawalpindi Environmental Improvement Project and a Punjab Local Justice Support Programme.

Punjab will also benefit from several other national-level projects and programmes during this period. "Generally, our bank is trying to offer adequate financial assistance for every important sector, specially with a view to alleviate poverty and generate new jobs in the country," the ADB country director said.