Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar has announced that the federal and all provincial governments can use $40 million non-utilised sums from World Bank projects to battle coronavirus.
Hammad Azhar took to Twitter and said, “Following non-utilised sums have been immediately redirected from World Bank projects and are now cleared to be used by provinces and federal governments for Covid-19 equipment purchases and responses.
The federal minister also shared the breakdown of the non-utilised sums, in which Punjab has $7.5 million, Sindh has $10 million, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 7 million, Balochistan has 2 million, while the federal government has $13.5 million.
Following non utilised sums have been immediatly redirected from World Bank projects and are now cleared to be used by provinces and fed govt for Covid-19 equipment purchases and responses:
Punjab: $7.5 ml
Sindh: $10 ml
KPK: $7 ml
Balochistan: :$ 2 ml
Fed govt: $13.5 ml@eadgop— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) March 20, 2020
In this regard, Governor Sindh Imran Ismail has praised the step and said, “A very good and bold step by federal government.”
He further said, “I suggest there should be central purchases and provide kits, meds and equipment to provenances according to their respective requirements.”
Responding to the suggestion by Imran Ismail, Hammad Azhar in another tweet said, “We have helped arrange the cancellations, reallocations and given the expedited approvals.”
A very good and bold step by federal government, I suggest there should be central purchases and provide kits, meds and equipment to provenances according to their respective requirements.
— Imran Ismail (@ImranIsmailPTI) March 20, 2020
Hammad Azhar further said, “The part of funds that are reallocated from un-utilised projects in the provinces will have to be spent by respective provinces in the same ratio. Provinces prefer that too.”
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