Planning minister calls for expanding cooperation between Pakistan, ADB

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Reform Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar has called for further expanding the scope of cooperation with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in various sectors of the country, especially in the underdeveloped areas for sustained socio-economic development.

“Pakistan values its partnership with the ADB. Pakistan appreciates its contribution and assistance over the decades in various development initiatives in the country,” he said while talking to a delegation of the bank headed by its Vice President Wencai Zang at the Planning Ministry in Islamabad.

Secretary Planning Zafar Hasan, Chief Economist Dr Nadeem Javaid and Member Infrastructure Ahmed Khan were also present on the occasion.

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The federal minister said that the present government was committed to strengthen and modernise the country’s infrastructure, eradicate poverty and improve lifestyle standard of the marginalized sections of society, provide quality education and healthcare facilities to the masses as well as provide equal development opportunities to bring all the regions of Pakistan at par with each other.

He apprised that the government was working on a plan to initiate low cost housing scheme for the common men adding that the ADB may support the initiative.

Bakhtiar said that the government was also focusing on reforming and restructuring the public sector for efficient service delivery and improve governance for the betterment of the people.

The vice president ADB lauded the commitment of the government for socio-economic uplift of the country and focusing on human resource development.

He said that the ADB would continue supporting the government of Pakistan in attaining its development initiatives in different sectors of the country.