Japan to provide $17.5 million  for energy, girls’ education

ISLAMABAD: Japanese government Tuesday agreed to provide $17.5 million grant to Pakistan to support it in stabilisation of energy supply and promotion of girls’ education, as these are major challenges Pakistan is being faced with. 

Charge d’ Affaires ad interim of the Embassy of Japan to Pakistan Junya Matsuura and Tariq Bajwa Secretary Economic Affairs Division (EAD) signed these two agreements here. Junya Matsuura, at this occasion, emphasised the importance of both stabilisation of energy supply and promotion of girls’ education, which are significant challenges in Pakistan. He also reaffirmed Japan’s continuous support for development of Pakistan and well-being of people in Pakistan.

A grant up to 994 million Yen (approx. $8.9 million), will be provided for ‘Strengthening Training Center on Grid System Operations and Maintenance’ and another "The Project for Upgrading Primary Girls Schools into Elementary Schools in Northern Rural Sindh" will get 973 million Yen (approx. $8.6 million).

These projects are focusing to strengthen training facilities on power grid operations and to build around 25 girls’ schools in Northern Rural Sindh. These will be funded through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). 

On the same occasion, grant agreements on the details of implementation of these projects were signed between Yasuhiro Tojo, Chief Representative of JICA and Syed Mujtaba Hussain, Joint Secretary of EAD.

Talking to selected group of journalists JICA’s Pakistan representative Ogasahara said that the project for ‘Strengthening Training Center on Grid System Operations and Maintenance’ will support Technical Service Group (TSG) of National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) to develop training courses with Japanese advanced and efficient technology by strengthening their training facilities including the installation of a training purpose simulator.

The project for ‘Upgrading Primary Girls Schools into Elementary Schools’ which actually is the second phase of the on-going project and will build around 25 elementary-middle schools for girls in the rural areas of northern Sindh including Khairpur , Sukkur, Ghotki, Shikarpur, Larkana and Dadu to improve and expand girls’ access to middle education in rural areas of Sindh.

Under the first phase of the project, government of Japan is currently constructing 29 schools in Hyderabad, Badin, Tandoo Allahyar, Jamshoro, Nawbshah and Mirpurkhas.

Ogasahara said that in energy sector, under Japan’s assistance, power plants such as Bin Qasim, Jamshoro and Ghazi Barotha etc. were constructed in Pakistan and generate 2,760MW electricity.  Japan has built over 500 schools so far in various parts of Pakistan since the commencement of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme in 1954.

Tojo, Chief Representative of JICA, while commenting on the significance of the projects said, “JICA will continue its support to Pakistan’s energy and education sector for the development of both its infrastructure and human resources, closely paying attention to the needs of the government of Pakistan and in cooperation with the international community.”