World Bank delegation briefed on progress in CLICK and SWEEP projects

World Bank Country Director for Pakistan Najy Benhassine led a delegation of the donor agency that called on Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and Local Government Secretary Najam Ahmad Shah on Thursday.

The minister told the delegation that all the projects of the Sindh government in collaboration with the World Bank were being carried out at full pace and the provincial government had taken all possible steps for the welfare of the people.

The meeting was also attended by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) managing director, project director of the World Bank-funded Competitive & Livable City of Karachi (CLICK) project worth $240 million (Rs40.5 billion) and project director of the Solid Waste Emergency & Efficiency Project (SWEEP).

With the assistance of the World Bank, the Sindh government is working on the SWEEP project, which is about managing solid waste and also involves the cleaning of storm water drains.

Meanwhile, the CLICK project has three key components - capacity improvement for infrastructure and improvement of Karachi’s local councils under the local government department for $181.86 million (Rs30.7 billion), improvement of the urban property tax system through the excise & taxation department for $40.4 million (Rs6.8 billion) and setting up the Sindh Investment Portal through the investment department for $17.2 million (Rs2.9 billion).

According to a statement issued by the Sindh local government department, Najam said in the meeting that the confidence shown by the World Bank in the Sindh government was a matter of pride. He said revolutionary changes were being brought in the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB), KWSB and other institutions with the help of external funding, and timely and transparent completion of every project was the mission of the Sindh government and its local government department.

In response to a query of the World Bank delegation, the local government secretary said the process of timely formation of all the institutional boards had been completed successfully and the main priority of the Sindh government was to strengthen the institutions.

In his concluding remarks, the secretary said that the provincial government believed in prompt and smooth completion of all the ongoing projects in collaboration with the World Bank, without any kind of nepotism. It was said that every penny received from the World Bank was spent solely on public welfare and development works.