ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The World Bank County Director for Pakistan Najy Benhassine has appreciated the government’s resolve to expedite the implementation of projects funded by the global financial institution.
The appreciation was echoed when Najy Benhassine met the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Division Khusro Bakhtiar in Islamabad on Saturday.
In the meeting, Khusro Bakhtiar thanked and appreciated the World Bank for extending a US$ 200 million package to help Pakistan take effective and timely action to respond to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The minister also appreciated the support of the World Bank for a locust emergency control project worth US$ 200 million to mitigate the adverse impact of parasite attack on the food basket of the Country.
Khusro Bakhtiar apprised the visiting dignitary of approval of economic reforms proposed by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) to simplify the execution of development projects.
The federal minister also shared Prime Minister Imran Khan’s direction to expedite the economic reforms in coordination with global donors.
Khusro Bakhtiar urged the World Bank Country Director to expand the priority areas of cooperation with Pakistan in the field of energy, tourism, low-cost housing scheme, and availability of COVID Vaccine.
The World Bank Country Director thanked the minister for the WB portfolio review exercise.
Najy Benhassine assured that World Bank would consider the recommendations of the minister to strengthen the WB’s portfolio in Pakistan.
