Karachi, In a significant meeting at the CM House, Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (R) Maqbool Baqar and World Bank South Asia Regional Vice President Mr. Martin Raiser agreed to expedite the progress of ongoing projects funded by the World Bank. The $2.2 billion portfolio includes initiatives aimed at improving various sectors in the province.

According to Sindh Chief Minister House, the meeting, which also involved World Bank Country Director Najy Benhassine and other officials, focused on ensuring the timely completion and effectiveness of these projects. Chief Secretary Dr. Fakhre Alam and Chairman P&D Shakil Mangnejo represented the provincial government at the discussion.

A key topic was the World Bank’s Accelerated Action Plan for Reduction of Stunting and Malnutrition in Sindh, which aims to reduce stunting from 30 percent to 15 percent by 2026. The CM and the World Bank regional chief discussed adopting a revised approach that includes critical environmental factors, such as access to safe water, sanitation, and waste management, to address the underlying causes of stunting.

The Chief Minister highlighted other supportive initiatives, including UNICEF’s Rolling Workplan for 2023-2024 with a grant of $50.573 million and the European Union’s project in Sindh with a grant of Euro 6.1 million. He emphasized the importance of World Bank support in reducing stunting for healthier children and productive human capital in the province.

The meeting also addressed concerns about the slow progress of some World Bank projects. The Chief Minister attributed this to the recent caretaker government transition and subsequent officer transfers. Chairman P&D Shakil Mangnejo pointed out delays in the release of World Bank funds as a primary cause of project slowdowns. The officials agreed that P&D and the World Bank team would work together to resolve these issues and accelerate the progress of the ongoing projects.