KARACHI: The Sindh government and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have agreed to launch two different projects for improvement of livelihood and well-being of women home-based workers and establishment of a maternal and child health centre at Liaquat University Hospital, Jamshoro, worth Rs4.16 billion.

JICA would also provide technical and engineering solution to traffic congestion in Karachi.

This decision was taken in a meeting between Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah and JICA president Shinichi Kitaoka. Japan’s Consul General at Karachi Toshikazu Isomura, Hiroo Tanaka and JICA’s senior executives Shone Hara, Nobuhiro Kawatani also attended the meeting.

The CM said that his government had submitted a concept paper of the project ‘Improvement of Livelihood and Well-being of Female Home-based Workers’. The concept paper was approved in the larger interest of women workers and, therefore, he wanted the project to be started this year.

The JICA president agreed to start the project this year and complete it in 2023. The overall size of the project has been estimated at Rs541.086 million of which JICA’s share would be Rs435.729m.

The remaining amount would be provided by the Sindh government.

The project is about improving the livelihood skills and managerial abilities of workers and mainstreaming them in formal labour market.

Health centre

Another project which came under discussion was the establishment of maternal and child health centre at Liaquat University Jamshoro. The cost of the project would be Rs3,623.040m of which JICA’s share would come to Rs181.152m and the rest of the major amount would be provided by the provincial government.

The project approved in the meeting would be started this year and be completed within two years by 2022.

Traffic solution

The CM told JICA’s delegation that the issues of traffic congestion in Karachi were on the increase day by day. Widening of roads and construction of flyovers and underpasses had served little to resolve the issue, he added.

He said better traffic engineering was the only solution to resolve the issue. The JICA president assured the CM that his experts would provide traffic engineering solution for the city. He added that his team would survey roads and conduct a study so that a solid solution could be given.

Planning and Development Chairman Mohammad Waseem would coordinate with JICA team for starting the survey and study.

The JICA delegation also held out assurance to support the urban transport development.

The meeting also reviewed the progress of JICA-sponsored projects.

Mr Waseem while briefing the meeting said that sustainable livestock development in rural areas of Sindh was launched in 2013 for Rs910m with Rs227.06m Sindh government’s share.

The project is aimed at increasing rural farmers’ income and assets in the province through increasing milk and meat production. The project would complete at the end of 2020.

The Sindh government with the assistance of JICA upgraded a 70-bedded children’s hospital in North Karachi to 200 beds. The project was started in 2012 and was completed in 2015 at a cost of Rs1,137.061m in which the Sindh government share was Rs227.061m while JICA provided Rs910m.

Mr Waseem told the meeting that the hospital was functional and providing healthcare services to the children of the area. The visiting team expressed satisfaction over the project.

The education department had launched a project to upgrade girls’ elementary schools to primary schools in rural areas of the province for Rs2,076.98m in which JICA shared Rs1,667.96m whereas the Sindh government gave Rs409.02m.

The meeting was told that the project was started in 2013 and was completed in 2013.

Under the project, 54 primary schools have been upgraded in northern and southern districts of the province. Of these 54 schools, 29 have been upgraded in six

southern districts and 25 schools in northern districts.

Describing JICA as one of the best development partners of the Sindh government, the CM presented a shield, ajraks and Sindhi caps to the visiting guests.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2020