Japan grants $27.37mn aid to Pakistan for airport security, social, economic uplift

ISLAMABAD: The government of Japan has granted aid worth Japanese Yen 2,892,000,000 (about US$ 27.379 million) to Pakistan for airport security improvement and economic and social development.

The official notes for the grants were exchanged here on Tuesday. Secretary Economic Affairs Division Syed Ghazanfar Abbas Jillani and Charge d’Affaires Ad Interim at the Embassy of Japan Takashi Harada signed the Exchange of Notes and Record of Discussion on behalf of their governments.

Grant agreement for the project for improvement of Airport Security (Phase 2) was also signed by Chief Representative Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Pakistan Office Yasuhiro Tojo and Joint Secretary Economic Affairs Division Syed Mujtaba Hussain. Officials from the Aviation Division & Civil Aviation Authority also attended the signing ceremony.

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The first project: Japanese grant aid for the project of Improvement of Airport Security (Phase 2) is worth JPY 2,392 million (about US$ 22.645mn)

Considering challenging security situation encountered by Pakistan for the last many years, Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority is in process of re-engineering security of airports and up-gradation of security equipments in line with the international standards, so that gradually every airport of Pakistan will fall in the category of safe and secure airport of the world, said a release issued by the Finance Ministry.

This grant project will definitely help improve security at international airports of Pakistan through installation of these equipments. Thus, utilization of this grant will pave the way to safeguard, passengers, their belongings, airlines and its assets, aircraft, national assets and functionaries from the acts of unlawful interference.

The second project: Japanese Non-Project Grant Aid for the Economic and Social Development Programme (for provision of meteorological equipment) is worth JPY 500 million (about US$ 4.733 mn)

The non-project grant aid will be utilized to procure meteorological equipments for Pakistan Meteorological Department for installation in Punjab and Sindh. These meteorological equipments will be utilized for data acquisition to make products for weather forecasting/advisories/severe weather warnings.

The secretary Economic Affairs Division appreciated the government and people of Japan for their support with the assurance of extending all necessary facilitation for more meaningful cooperation between the two sides in the future.