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p. 84 of 95 BACK | NEXT Message from the Chairman of the Board of Directors Members, Capital Stock and Voting Power The Record Abbreviations 2004 in Review: Board of Directors' Report Special Theme: The Changing Face of the Microfinance Industry: Building Financial Systems for the Poor Part 1: Institutional Effectiveness Part 2: Poverty Reduction Strategic Priorities Thematic Priorities Regional Perspectives East and Central Asia Mekong The Pacific South Asia Afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan India Maldives Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka Southeast Asia Part 3: Financial Statements: Management's Discussion and Analysis

Annual Report 2004 : Part 2: Poverty Reduction : South Asia

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Pakistan

Strategy and Policy Dialogue. Following successful economic reforms resulting in significant improvements in Pakistan's macroeconomic fundamentals in recent years, ADB engaged the government in extensive policy dialogue on the need to accelerate growth to ensure that the benefits of reform reach the poor. The results of this dialogue are reflected in the CSPU for 2005–2006 in which ADB agreed to provide support for achieving sustained high growth. To this end, ADB will provide assistance for infrastructure projects that would have the greatest impact on economic growth and poverty reduction. At the same time, the emphasis on supporting improved governance and decentralizing the delivery of social services will be maintained.

As part of the strategic dialogue, ADB completed a major report on Pakistan's devolution reform that was published as a three-volume series in June 2004. This report responded to the government's request for a series of empirically robust and practically oriented recommendations on the way forward for further devolution. ADB continued support for provincial public resource management reforms and decentralized social service delivery. In this regard, a major reform package was approved for Balochistan to support fiscal and financial reforms, to improve administrative frameworks and public-private partnerships for effective public service delivery, and to create an enabling environment for private sector development. A social sector reform and investment program in Punjab was also approved to support increased allocations for social sectors.

To directly support poverty reduction and create employment, assistance was approved for strengthening technical education and the vocational training system and making it more market oriented in Balochistan and North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). ADB also supported sustainable rural livelihoods in districts with a high incidence of poverty in Punjab to enhance access to land, water, markets, services, agriculture inputs, technology, and employment for the poor. In its first-ever support for Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), ADB provided assistance for improving living conditions, quality of life, and economic prospects in the area by rehabilitating and reconstructing essential physical and social infrastructure. Finally, the emphasis on improving subregional cooperation was maintained and assistance was provided to strengthen regional connectivity between Pakistan and Afghanistan and to promote trade and commercial ties between South and Central Asian countries.

Loans and Technical Assistance. ADB approved 11 loans totaling $709.2 million for seven projects: assistance for sustainable livelihood improvement in Punjab; multisector rehabilitation in AJK; public resource management in Balochistan; technical education and vocational training in Balochistan and NWFP; devolved social services in Punjab; and road development and subregional connectivity in NWFP. Twenty-three technical assistance grants totaling $28.9 million were also approved.

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