Pakistan and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have inked a loan agreement worth $325 million to improve facilities in education and health sectors of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab by providing clean energy.
The ‘Results-Based Loan: Access to Clean Energy Investment Programme’ was signed by, Additional Secretary, Economic Affairs Division (EAD), Anjum Assad Amin and Country Director ADB, Werner E Liepach. The Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said that $237 million of the total loan amount would be utilised in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the installation of approximately 1,000 micro-hydropower plants while approximately $87 million would be spent in Punjab on the installation of solar facilities in approximately 17,400 schools and public health facilities.
The ADB country director said that the agreement is aimed to target the underprivileged directly and help them improve their livelihood and provide them access to better facilities. He emphasized on the relationship between infrastructure and living standards.
As per the agreement, the ADB’s financial assistance would target off-grid areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab and contribute to Pakistan’s national goal of enhanced energy security. The programme would be implemented over a period of five years (2017-2021) and would be gender sensitive, providing 7% (70) micro hydro power plants to the women headed households in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. At least 30% of schools being installed with solar facilities under the project are schools for girls in each province. It also includes provision of training to women to equip them to use the benefits resulting from the availability of electricity in each province.
