Pakistan eyes $40bn aid from donors

[Neo]

Pakistan eyes $40bn aid from donors​

* Zardari to attend Friends of Pakistan meeting, donors’ conference in Tokyo
* Govt to seek help in security, infrastructure and energy​

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will seek $40 billion in aid and investment and $6 billion in annual budgetary support over five years during a meeting of the Friends of Pakistan forum and a donors’ conference scheduled in Tokyo on April 17, sources told Daily Times on Saturday.

President Asif Ali Zardari will represent Pakistan during the meetings. Bilateral and multilateral donors will make pledges the same day.

The decision was made in a meeting at the President’s House on Saturday, officials privy to the meeting told Daily Times.

The government would focus on seeking help from bilateral donors in the security, institution building, social development, infrastructure development, governance and energy sectors, the officials said. It will also seek market access for Pakistani goods, oil supplies on deferred payment, barter trade, a trust fund for the development of FATA and debt swaps from western countries, they added.

The participants of the meeting at the President’s House discussed preparations for the events.

In a statement, Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said that the 15-member Friends of Pakistan group was formed in September last year on the initiative of President Asif Zardari to garner international support for bolstering Pakistan’s security and economic situation.

The countries and international bodies included in the group are Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the UAE, the UK, the US, the European Union, the EC and the United Nations.

A number of other countries including Sweden, Norway, Spain and the Netherlands are also likely to join the initiative in the near future, Babar said.

Two meetings of the group have thus far been held, one in New York on September 26, 2008 and the other in the UAE on November 17, 2008.

The April meeting will be crucial as a clear affirmation of support of world powers to stand by Pakistan is considered invaluable for the country’s long-term security, stability and economic development. The donors’ conference on the same day in Tokyo will be attended by representatives of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank among other bodies to address issues relating to Pakistan’s immediate financial problems.

 

[Hyde]

i think they will give him 2-3 dollars as a bakhshish* and forget more aid from other countries....... our countries political situation is getting worsened and no foreign countries are keen to invest in Pakistan until it's assurance of stability

Like previous friends of Pakistan meeting nothing major will come out and we may have to see some disappointments on our faces again..... i hope some Arabian countries helps us by giving us couple of billions of dollars in free and some foreign investments from China and European countries can boost our economy once again

 

[araz]

I wish if we are given aid, it is project specific and we are forced to spend it on development projects like hydro power, high end industries, and infrastructure. Just aid on its own will end up in pockets and we will have achieved nothing!! Secondly, in the current economic climate , i think this will just be wishful thinking specially with the likes ofZardari at the helm of affairs.
Araz

 

[ajpirzada]

i dont know where are the donors gonna get the money from... most of the economies are already in recession and they need big amount of money to bail out their own banks or else they ll collapse.... we should try to walk on our own feet instead of lookin for others support whom we always criticise for being biased

 

[Patriot]

This type of aid should not be welcomed in Pakistan.We should seek development aid like China which hardly gives us direct $$$ but instead starts development programs in Pakistan.

 

[sohailbutt]

Instead of asking for aid from friends of Pakistan, GoP should bring some serious reforms in FBR (who basically collects taxes from our countrymen), actually people don't give taxes which is really worrying, when they do not give taxes this creates trouble for Government to fund it's running and the running of Pakistan (funding different projects).

The reason why people do not pay taxes is, they seem to believe that Government does not do much for them (issues like electricity, security arise in this area, development both human and infrastructure), some people do not agree with Goverenments excess spending on luxuries so they do not show there earnings to the Governemnt which cannot in turn tax them, this creates a vacuum which is filled by friends of Pakistan, and this believe me creates a real bad image for Pakistan, and creates lot of doubts regarding its credibility

If we keep on asking aid from FoP then that day is not far when even FoP deny us any aid. We should stop asking aid, instead we should take steps to raise money from taxes within our own Country,

 

[Myth_buster_1]

lol zardari reminds me of Doctor Evil from Austine powers... I want 100 bazillion dollars!!

 

[duhastmish]

It will be great if pakistan get such aid. Although we all know in these parts of world- only 10% of donation goes to needy rest is eaten up by system.
But still there is nothing to be proud of in getting donation, I think most young Pakistanis will agree to give donation than get some. But thanks to all these corrupt politician and failed system which exist.
I think instead of direct currency aid. Pakistan need donation in form of infrastructure. Which should make it much more reachable to desired person.

 

[ANDUBYLL]

I think Zardari is going to become really rich once he finishes off as PM !

 

[omerhhh]

I think Zardari is going to become really rich once he finishes off as PM !

he's the president.

 

[Jihad]

he's the president.

LOL, what a funny mistake.

 

[Neo]

i dont know where are the donors gonna get the money from... most of the economies are already in recession and they need big amount of money to bail out their own banks or else they ll collapse.... we should try to walk on our own feet instead of lookin for others support whom we always criticise for being biased

Ever heard of the 0.7% pledge?

Agreed in 1969, the 0.7% Pledge is the commitment of the world’s developed countries to donate 0.7% of their gross national product (GNP) to the economic development of poor countries. Although most developped countries failed to meet the target, some Scandinavian countries have been most generous to this commitment and assigned more than 1.00% of their GNP to Official Development Assistance (ODA) to poor countries.

 

[vkurian]

he's the president.

What were your options among civilians .......Nawaz also has issues and these are the two big parties.

Can some one update about some young politicians who one can look unto and can mobilize the masses with the classes.

 

[notorious_eagle]

Even if we get this money; this is not donation, this is reimbursement for the war on terror we have been fighting. The terrorists have caused enough harm to our country and it is the West's responsability to pay for the opportunities that we have lost. We have lost more money from this war on terror than the aid that has been recieved, i dont know why our stupid politicans dont shove this fact on the face of soo many western reporters. Although i dont support Pakistan recieving aid from the West because of all the strings that are attached, but in this case we desperately need this money. I hope this money is spent for education, employment which will bring prosperity to the nation.

 

[PeacefulIndian]

Even if we get this money; this is not donation, this is reimbursement for the war on terror we have been fighting. The terrorists have caused enough harm to our country and it is the West's responsability to pay for the opportunities that we have lost.We have lost more money from this war on terror than the aid that has been recieved, i dont know why our stupid politicans dont shove this fact on the face of soo many western reporters. Although i dont support Pakistan recieving aid from the West because of all the strings that are attached, but in this case we desperately need this money. I hope this money is spent for education, employment which will bring prosperity to the nation.

You are getting your reimbursements separately. This is in addition to the money that you get for your support(?)