World Bank reassessing poverty reduction efforts for Pakistan

from the Business Recorder

The World Bank is reassessing Pakistan's performance for poverty reduction to prepare the policy on future financing. A three-member mission headed by Miss Situ Kohkonen is currently in Islamabad to hold meetings with the officials working on poverty reduction programme and senior policy makers of the government.

The mission is collecting fresh data on jobs to unemployed and other steps taken by the government for better income to underprivileged section of the society.

The mission on Thursday held separate meetings with senior officials of the Economic Affair Division (EAD) and Planning Commission and took up poverty reduction measures. The mission is also scheduled to meet the Prime Minister's Advisor on Finance, Dr Salman Shah and senior officials of the Ministry of Finance and Privatisation Commission.

An Islamabad-based official of the World Bank told Business Recorder that the mission was collecting data on poverty for preparing its report besides discussing the steps taken by the government during meetings with the officials.

The official said the mission would review the fresh data provided by the government and consume for its strategy to be suggested to Pakistan to help reduce poverty rate.

Despite repeated claims of the authorities that poverty reduction was more than 10 points, donors doubt the ratio and want the government to take more concrete steps to further cut down poverty and improve the living standard of the people.

The mission will also have a meeting with the officials of the Privatisation Commission to know what percentage of privatisation proceeds were being spent on poverty reduction.