Finance Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, chaired a
meeting at the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday to review matters related to
the Economic Affairs Division (EAD). Secretary EAD and senior officials of
the Ministry of Finance and EAD attended the meeting.
Secretary EAD briefed the Minister on his
participation in the Pakistan-European Union (EU) Joint Commission Meeting
held in Brussels earlier this month. He informed that during the meeting
the two sides welcomed continued growth in their broad-based relationship,
and appreciated the implementation of the EU-Pakistan 5-year Engagement
Plan (2012-17). He said that they looked forward to further
deepening the relationship, especially through the Strategic Engagement
Plan (SEP). Secretary EAD also briefed
the Minister on the progress of the various ongoing development projects.
He apprised the Minister of ongoing negotiations with various donor
agencies for finalization of projects in pipeline.
Finance Minister said that the progress of disbursement of
foreign grants and loans for infrastructure and energy projects should be
diligently monitored. He emphasized the need for timely disbursement of
funds so that the people at large can benefit from successful and timely
completion of the projects.. He urged EAD to undertake all efforts for
efficient utilization of the funds. Finance Minister directed EAD to
maintain close coordination with Federal Ministries as well as the Provincial Governments
in this regard.
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