The World Bank, Islamabad Office
July, 2007 Message from Yusupha B. Crookes, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan I am pleased to share with you the first issue of our quarterly e-newsletter on the World Bank's activities in Pakistan. Although I have only been in Pakistan for a few months, I am deeply impressed by the commitment of the people of Pakistan to the development of the country. Pakistan has in recent years made good progress towards improving human development indicators and reducing poverty and vulnerability. But there is no room for complacency. Many challenges still loom large. For example, only half of Pakistan’s adult population is literate and poor health services and high fertility remain as major obstacles to poverty alleviation. This quarterly e-newsletter is an endeavor to keep you informed of what we, in the World Bank, are doing to support Pakistan in its efforts to achieve and maintain high rates of economic growth, build the capacity of all of its people to contribute to and benefit from such growth and continue to reduce poverty. We will be using this newsletter to share news and information on our programs and projects and the insights and results from our research and analytical work on various aspects and sectors of the Pakistan economy. Most importantly, we will be sharing the outcomes of the World Bank's development partnership with Pakistan. We look forward to your feedback and comments on this newsletter. Please send your comments to mariamaltaf@worldbank.org to help us make this newsletter responsive to your interests and needs. ========================================================= Rebuilding for a better future: translating a strategy into beneficiaries’ resolve In the earthquake devastated northern region of Pakistan, constituting nine districts of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), a culture of seismic resistant construction is taking root. Owner-driven reconstruction of nearly 300,000 of the approximately 575,000 houses destroyed/damaged in the earthquake affected rural areas has begun and is at various stages of completion. This reconstruction is supported through housing reconstruction grants from the Pakistan Government – a program partly financed by the World Bank through the Emergency Recovery Project (ERP). Feature Story ========================================================= Girl's Stipend Program in Punjab In Pakistan, it is estimated that only 57 percent of girls and women can read and write and in rural areas only 22 percent of girls have completed primary level schooling as compared to 47 percent of boys. In 2003, the Punjab government with assistance from the World Bank, implemented the “Girls' Stipend Program” which provided cash stipend of Rs. 200 to families to ensure that their daughters attend school. Feature story ========================================================= World Bank Supports Pakistan’s Reform Program with US$350 million The World Bank approved US$350 million credit to support the Government of Pakistan’s medium-term reform program, which aims to promote sustained, rapid economic growth as its main vehicle for poverty reduction. The Second Poverty Reduction Support Credit (PRSC II), which supports the government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, will finance reforms designed to maintain macroeconomic stability, improve management and effectiveness of public expenditures, and assist power sector reforms. It will also support the privatization program, improve the regulatory framework for competition, and enhance female labor force participation and labor market flexibility. Second Poverty Reduction Support Credit (PRSC II)
Press Release ========================================================= World Bank Provides US$451 million to Support Pakistan’s Development Program The World Bank approved a package of assistance worth US$451million to help the Government of Pakistan improve education in Punjab and Sindh, enhance irrigation in Punjab, implement reforms in education and health in North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), and eradicate polio throughout the country. Press Release ========================================================= North-West Frontier Province Development Policy Credit 2 The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) Second Development Policy Credit is the second operation in a series of three development policy credits designed to assist the NWFP policy reform program. The current NWFP program builds on the experience of the previous reforms from 2000-01 onwards, supported by the World Bank through two Structural Adjustment Credits (SACs) in 2002 and 2004 and the First Development Policy Credit in 2006. The two SACs emphasized on fiscal, expenditure management, and growth reforms. The first Development Policy Credit was a transition operation between the expenditure and growth focused SACs and a future series of operations including this program with emphasis on human development. For more details click here ========================================================= The Fourth Punjab Education Development Policy Credit The Fourth Punjab Education Development Policy Credit (PEDPC IV) is the first operation of a series of three development policy credits designed to support the ongoing Punjab Education Sector Reform Program (PESRP), which has entered a second Phase. Phase I was supported under a series of three programmatic Development Policy Credits (DPCs) from 2004-2006. The objectives of the Phase II PESRP are to improve performance and quality of school education to improve student learning outcomes; improve school participation and retention rates; and reduce gender and regional disparities (grades 1-10). For more details click here ========================================================= Second Punjab Irrigation Sector Development Policy Loan Pakistan faces major water related issues that have serious social, economic and environmental implications: growing demand and declining water availability per capita; deteriorating infrastructure --as a result of inadequate operation and maintenance and inequitable canal water deliveries. Surface and groundwater resources constitute the lifeline of Punjab’s agro-based economy. To address the issues in irrigation, in the year 2004, Punjab prepared a medium term Irrigation Sector Reform Program (ISRP). The ISRP is built on four pillars: (i): Institutional and Policy Reforms to improve the management and maintenance of the irrigation system to ensure its long term physical and financial sustainability. (ii): Water Resources Management Reforms to make intra-province water allocation and distribution more transparent. (iii): Irrigation Service Delivery Reforms to improve the quality, efficiency and accountability with which irrigation services are delivered. (iv): Reforms to improve water use efficiency and water productivity. For more details click here ========================================================= Sindh Education Sector Development Policy Credit Sindh has launched a comprehensive education reform agenda through the Sindh Education Reform Program (SERP) which will be supported by three World Bank credits in the form of the Sindh Education Sector Development Policy Credit (SEDPC) series.The reform program is built on four complementary pillars. The first pillar includes fiscal, financial management and procurement reforms. The second pillar include reforms to strengthen the functioning, capacity and accountability of provincial and district education management in line with devolution objectives. The third pillar aims at improving access to quality schooling, with a particular focus on rural areas and girls. The forth pillar aims to improve the quality of teaching and learning, through instituting merit based recruitment and improved accountability of teachers. For more details click here ========================================================= Additional Support for Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Initiative The additional financing for the Second Partnership for Polio Eradication Project builds on the first and the Second Polio projects. The combined World Bank financing for Polio eradication in Pakistan during 2003-2007 now amounts to US $110.78 million. Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) is part of the World Health Organization (WHO) led, multi-country effort in support of a global public good i.e. eradication of polio from the world. The purpose of the project is to assist GOP in eradicating poliomyelitis. As the parent project, the additional support project will have only one component, i.e., to support the procurement and supply of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), needed for additional Supplemental Immunization Activities (SIAs) in August 2007-January 2008. For more details click here ========================================================= World Bank supported Projects and Programs in Pakistan The World Bank is supporting 29 ongoing Government projects in Pakistan and is active in a wide range of sectors including health, education, transport, water, etc. To read more about active projects in Pakistan Click here ========================================================= Latest Publications  A guide to the World Bank is a completely revised and updated edition that provides an accessible and straight forward overview of the World Bank Group's history, organization, mission, and purpose  Global Development Finance (GDF) is the World Bank's annual review of recent trends in and prospects for financial flows to developing countries. It is an indispensable resource for governments, economists, investors, financial consultants, academics, bankers, and the entire development community.  The Atlas of Global Development vividly illustrates the key development challenges facing our world today. Social, economic, and environmental issues drawn on data from the World Bank's authoritative World Development Indicators, are presented with easy-to read, colorful world maps, tables, graphs, text and photographs. This book brings to life country comparisons of social indicators like life expectancy, infant mortality, safe water, population, growth, poverty and energy efficiency.  Over the next 25 years developing countries will move to center stage in the global economy. Global Economic Prospects 2007 analyzes the opportunities - and stresses - this will create. While rich and poor countries alike stand to benefit, the integration process will make more acute stresses already apparent today - in income inequality, in labor markets, and in the environment.  World Development Indicators is the World Bank's premier annual compilation of data about development. This indispensable statistical reference allows you to consult over 900 indicators for some 150 economies and 14 country groups in more than 80 tables.
 Global Monitoring Report 2007 reviews key developments of the past year, emerging priorities, and provides a detailed region-by-region picture of performance in the developing regions of the world, drawing on indicators for poverty, education, gender equality, health, and other goals. =========================================================
Pakistan Country Assistance Strategy
Pakistan's Country Water Assistance Strategy Doing Business Pakistan Promoting Rural Growth and Poverty Reduction Pakistan Higher Education Policy Note Pakistan Growth and Export Competitiveness Transport Competitiveness in Pakistan Pakistan Country Gender Assessment NWFP Economic Report Punjab Economic Report World Bank Documents & Reports website |
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