By SPA
Islamabad : Asian Development Bank (ADB) has made accumulative lending of $ 18.6 billion to-date for the development projects in Pakistan.
This was stated by the country director ADB Peter L Fedon while delivering his presentation on ADB s development partnership with Pakistan at Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA).
Fedon said that funding to energy sector was the highest with 21.1 percent followed by the agriculture sector with 20.90 percent, finance 13.2 percent, transport 11.3 and industry 9 percent.
He said that most of these projects were in the public sector while 41 projects worth $ 700 were in the private sector. He said that ABD has earmarked $ 2 billion for urban transport system in Lahore and $ 800 million for mass transit project in Karachi. Private sector will be the major finance providers in these projects, he added.
Fedon said out that ADB will be discussing with the new government its priorities areas where the bank can assist and provide funding. He said that ADB feels that infrastructure, logistics, energy, urban services in Karachi including urban transport, water supply and sanitation and reforms would be the priorities areas for the new government.
He said that ADB has immense confidence in Pakistan s economy for strong growth, resilience and sustainable development.
ADB is committed to long standing partnership with Pakistan and a large number of future projects are under discussion with the government , he said.
Fedon said that in the last ten years ADB has provided funding, expertise and guidance in almost all fields of development, reforms and good governance.
He said that the ADB provided $ 300 million for trade and export promotion, $ 335 million for energy, $ 350 million for agriculture development, $ 350 million for improving access to judiciary, $ 300 million for decentralization and $ 266 million for good governance.