ISLAMABAD, Oct 24: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Dr Salman Shah has asked donor agencies to complete their assessment report as soon as possible so that the government could make out a plane for rehabilitation of quake victims.
He was talking to local heads of donor agencies and international development partners, including the UNDP, World Bank, ADB, DFID-UK, European Union, Usaid and Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) at a meeting here on Monday.
The meeting was informed that the first draft of the report would be ready by November 5 and the final report by November 12. The early relief phase would be completed within six months and rehabilitation and reconstruction would start immediately after that.
Mr Shah suggested that the report should also include an estimate of funds required for all phases — including relief, early rehabilitation and reconstruction — with sector-specific options.
The meeting discussed different options and modalities to begin the reconstruction and rehabilitation phase in the AJK and the NWFP after the completion of assessment survey and finalization of the damage-report by the World Bank and ADB.
Fifteen clusters for development of housing, education, health, transport, water, energy, institution building and social infrastructure sectors have been created and more than 50 experts from donor agencies and development partners are associated with them.
Based on the best practices and experience of disaster management of the development partners, it was observed that an appropriate strategy was needed to be prepared for financial assistance to the needy in the form of cash-grant for reconstruction and removal of rubble, besides providing technical and material support.
The strategy and options to be suggested by the expert working group for different clusters would be placed before the cabinet committee on recovery and reconstruction for decisions and implementation through the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority, relevant ministries and departments.
It was decided that representatives of donor agencies, development partners, senior officials of finance and economic affairs division, including the chairman of the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority, would meet every Tuesday in the ministry of finance to review pace of work.
The chairman of the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority, Lt-Gen Mohammad Zubair, Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar and senior officials from finance and economic affairs division also attended the meeting.