Masatsugu Asakawa assumes ofce as the 10th President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 17 January 2019.

"I am honored to assume the role of ADB President and to begin working in close cooperation with our 68 members. ADB has been a trusted partner of the region for more than half a century, supporting strong growth that has improved the lives of people across Asia and the Pacic. I will strive to ensure ADB remains the preferred choice of its clients and partners," Mr. Asakawa said.

Mr. Asakawa succeeds Mr. Takehiko Nakao, who stepped down on 16 January 2020.

In a career spanning close to four decades, Mr. Asakawa has held a range of senior positions at the Ministry of Finance of Japan, including Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs, and gained diverse professional experience in development policy, foreign exchange markets, and international tax policy.

He served as Finance Deputy for the 2019 G20 Osaka Summit and the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting

in Fukuoka, Japan. Furthermore, in the immediate aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis, he took part in the rst G20 Leaders’ Summit Meeting in his capacity as Executive Assistant to the then Prime Minister Taro Aso. Mr. Asakawa has had frequent engagement with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, including as Chair of the Committee on Fiscal Affairs from 2011 to 2016. Mr. Asakawa’s extens ive internat iona l experience includes service as Chief Advisor to ADB President Mr. Kimimasa Tarumizu between 1989 and 1992, during which he spearheaded the creation of a new ofce in ADB focused on strategic planning.

Mr. Asakawa served as a Visiting Professor at the University of Tokyo from 2012 to 2015 and at Saitama University from 2006 to 2009. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tokyo in 1981 and MPA from Princeton University in 1985.

January 2020

New ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa Assumes Office

How Women-led Green Enterprises in Pakistan Helped Rebuild Climate-Resilient RoadsWomen nursery owners in northern districts near Islamabad grew millions of plants to protect roads and prevent future landslides, in the process creating jobs and nancial independence for women in the villages.

Year in Review: ADB Disbursed Record $2.4 Billion DevelopmentAssistance to Pakistan in 2019

Vice-President Shixin Chen Reafrms ADB's Strong Commitment to Pakistan's Development ADB Director General for Central West Asia calls on the Prime -Minister CAREC Regulators Forum 2019 Balochistan Water Sector - -Development Project Karachi Breeze Red Line Accelerating Urban Project - -with New Financing Instrument ADB provides $75 Million to Road in KPK ADB - -Supports Pakistan's FATF Plan ADB, Kashf Foundation Partner to Expand -Women Access to Credit-Pakistan Opens Key Motorway 4 Section ADB Project -to Enhance Secondary Education in Sindh.

Pakistan Resident Mission

In 2019, ADB's loan and grant disbursements to Pakistan amounted to $2.4 billion, comprising $1.8 billion in program lending

and $634.3 million in project lending.

ADB-Supported Programs and Projects ADB provided $1.8 billion in policy-based

loans, including $1billion in immediate budget support to shore up the country's public nances a n d $ 5 0 0 m i l l i o n t o i m p r o v e t r a d e competitiveness. ADB also provided additional nancing of $200 million to help support the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) — part of the government's agship Ehsas Poverty

Alleviation Strategy aimed at reducing inequality and investing in economically disadvantaged people.

ADB approved a $235 million loan to Sindh in 2019 to help develop a bus rapid transit (BRT) system with innovative energy and climate resilience features in Karachi, Pakistan's largest and most populated city. ADB also approved a $75 million project to Enhance Secondary Education in Sindh.

To help strengthen project readiness prior to approval, ADB approved project readiness nancing totaling $17.3 million in 2019 for the

Cit ies Improvement Project in Khyber

Pakhtunkwa and the Water Resources Project in Punjab.

In agriculture, ADB approved a major change in scope of Trimmu and Panjnad barrages adding Islam barrage by utilizing surplus loan proceeds of $21 million, and initiated work on $275 million Jalalpur Irrigation Project. ADB approved a grant of $5.1 million for enhancing Punjab technology based agriculture and marketing, market development and preparing Kurram Tangi Integrated Water Resources Development Project.

In the energy sector, ADB maintained its strong presence with an ongoing portfolio of

(continued on page 2)

ADB Director General for Central and

West Asia, Mr. Werner E. Liepach, on 11

December 2019 in Islamabad, met with

the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan. The

Prime Minister appreciated ADB's ongoing

support to Pakistan in the social protection,

agriculture, infrastructure development and

nancial sectors. DG Liepach, joined by ADB's

Country Director for Pakistan Xiaohong Yang,

briefed the Prime Minister about ADB's policy-

based assistance geared towards economic

stabilization and reforms in key sectors.

During the two-day visit, DG Liepach met

with Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance

and Revenue Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh; Minister

for Economic Affairs Muhammad Hammad

Azhar; Chairperson of the Benazir Income

Support Program Sania Nishtar; Minister for

Energy Omar Ayub Khan; Minister for Planning,

Development, and Reforms Asad Umar; and

other senior government ofcials to discuss

ADB's policy based assistance, country

partnership strategy (CPS), public and private

sector nancing incl for SMEs, tourism, and IT.

DG Liepach also attended a CPS consultations in

Karachi on 10 December, and met ADB staff

during the visit.

ADB Director General called on the Prime Minister of Pakistan

January 2020

$2.2 billion covering energy generation, transmission, distribution, energy efciency, renewable energy development, and analytical tools and advisory assistance.

In 2019, ADB committed a $300 million policy-based loan that will help Pakistan to address nancial sustainability, governance, and energy infrastructure policy constraints.

ADB's ongoing portfolio in the transport sector totals $2.5 billion and spans urban corridors, border crossing points, greeneld motorways and expressways, and existing national and provincial highways. In 2019, ADB committed a $75 million loan to widen and u p g r a d e 4 2 k i l o m e t e r s o f t h e b u s y Mardan–Swabi road in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

ADB successfully completed the Flood Emergency Reconstruction and Resilience Project, under which 1,740 km of provincial highways and districts roads were rehabilitated and repaired in 20 ood affected districts of Punjab. Another 204 km of major roads were rehabilitated, and 75 km of district roads were repaired in the three districts. About 800

hectares of landslide area was stabilized in the three northern districts using bio-engineering measures. The project also rehabilitated 90% of the ood protection infrastructure. Two new ood protection bunds are built along both banks of the river Jhelum with a cumulative length of about 7,300 meters. The project also developed the safety inspection manuals for dams and ood protection infrastructure.

ADB is also actively supporting Public-Private Partnership initiatives of the provinces and the Federal Government to support the delivery of public infrastructure with private sector participation, along with development of effective scal risk management functions.

Partnerships and Conancing ADB is implementing two loans of $100

million each for the provinces of Sindh and Punjab, with a conancing grant from DFID, Government of the UK. The projects are supporting PPPs in the provinces by augmenting the resources for Project Development Facility and Viability Gap Funding to structure and develop more viable PPP projects that offer value-for-money.

In 2019, ADB helped complete the125 kilometers Motorway M4 (Gojra-Khanewal

section). The ADB-administered M4 project was conanced with AIIB, alongside grant conancing from DFID. This was AIIB’s rst ever project.

The Pakistan National Transport Policy and Maser Plan supported by ADB and DFID was ofcially launched following its approval by the federal cabinet in 2018, and Road Safety and Road Asset Management secretariats promoted

under the National Transport Policy were established.

ADB secured nancing of $49 million ($37 million loan and $12 million grant) from the Green Climate Fund-supplementing a proposed

loan of $435 million; $235 million was from ADB and $100 million each from the Asian

Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Agence Française de Développement — to build a 26.6-km state-of-the-art BRT system in Karachi. Nonsovereign Operations

Commitments in nonsovereign operations funded by ordinary capital resources for the period 2007 to 2019 totaled $767 million, with $15 million committed in 2019. A $15 million

loan to Kashf Foundation was signed in August for the Expanding Access to Credit for Women Project. The funding will support Kashf Foundation’s lending to low-income women, female micro- and small entrepreneurs and low-cost schools in Pakistan.

ADB’s Trade Finance Program (TFP) lls market gaps by providing guarantees and loans through partner banks in support of trade. In Pakistan, the TFP works with 13 banks and has supported $16.03 billion in trade and 5,159 transactions as of November 2019 - 52.9% of the $16.03 billion was conanced by the private sector. The Supply Chain Finance Program has supported $0.88 million in trade over 5 transactions as of November in Pakistan and mobilized $0.44 million in conancing.

ADB Vice-President Shixin Chen met with the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan during his rst ofcial visit to the

country on 29–30 August, during which he reafrmed ADB’s support for Pakistan’s development priorities.

During his 2-day visit to Pakistan, VP Chen also met with the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Abdul Hafeez Shaikh; Minister for Economic Affairs Muhammad Hammad Azhar; Chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Program Sania Nishtar; Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan; and other senior government ofcials.

“ADB has an enduring development partnership with Pakistan. Over the last ve decades, Pakistan and ADB have worked together to develop the country ’s key infrastructure, promote exports and private sector efciency, reform publ ic sector management, develop the country’s nancial market, improve urban services, provide emergency assistance, and prioritize social sector.” said VP Chen. “ADB is committed to support the government’s reform agenda to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, develop key infrastructure, strengthen regional cooperation, attract investments, and promote industry and the private sector.”

“ADB plans to provide Pakistan about $7 b i l l ion in f resh ass i s tance for var ious development projects and policy-based programs during the next three years under its country operations business plan 2020–2022,

aimed at developing the country ’s social protection, urban services, energy security, transport, agriculture and water resources, education, trade, and tourism. This will help spur inclusive and sustainable economic growth,”VP Chen said.

During the visit, VP Chen visited the Hasan

Abdal–Havelian Expressway (E-35) constructed with the support of ADB and the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom, Pehur Irrigation Project, and a facilitation center of the Benazir Income Support Program, and met with beneciaries.

ADB also provided an additional financing of $200 million loan to help support the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) — part of the government's flagship Poverty Alleviation Program 'Ehsaas' which aims to reduce inequality and invest in economically disadvantaged people.

Minister for Economic Affairs, Hammad Azhar, witnessed signing of the assistance for economic recovery and energy sector reforms by ADB Country Director Xiaohong Yang and Secretary EAD Syed Pervaiz Abbas on 9 December 2019 in Islamabad.

Vice-President Shixin Chen Reaffirms ADB's Strong Commitment toPakistan's Development

ADB Vice-President VP Shixin Chen (second from right) and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan (right) during their meeting.

ADB is committed to support the government's reform agenda to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, develop key infrastructure, strengthen regional cooperation, attract investments, and promote industry and the private sector.

AD

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PAKISTAN NEWS PAKISTAN NEWS

PID

PID

DG Werner Liepach, joined by ADB's Country Director for Pakistan Xiaohong Yang, apprising the Prime Minister about ADB's policy-based assistance geared towards economic stabilization and reforms in key sectors

January 2020

Continued from page 1

In 2019, ADB committed a $300 million policy-based loan that will help Pakistan to address financial sustainability, governance, and energy infrastructure policy constraints.

ADB Director General for Central and

West Asia, Mr. Werner E. Liepach, on 11

December 2019 in Islamabad, met with

the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan. The

Prime Minister appreciated ADB's ongoing

support to Pakistan in the social protection,

agriculture, infrastructure development and

nancial sectors. DG Liepach, joined by ADB's

Country Director for Pakistan Xiaohong Yang,

briefed the Prime Minister about ADB's policy-

based assistance geared towards economic

stabilization and reforms in key sectors.

During the two-day visit, DG Liepach met

with Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance

and Revenue Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh; Minister

for Economic Affairs Muhammad Hammad

Azhar; Chairperson of the Benazir Income

Support Program Sania Nishtar; Minister for

Energy Omar Ayub Khan; Minister for Planning,

Development, and Reforms Asad Umar; and

other senior government ofcials to discuss

ADB's policy based assistance, country

partnership strategy (CPS), public and private

sector nancing incl for SMEs, tourism, and IT.

DG Liepach also attended a CPS consultations in

Karachi on 10 December, and met ADB staff

during the visit.

ADB Director General called on the Prime Minister of Pakistan

January 2020

$2.2 billion covering energy generation, transmission, distribution, energy efciency, renewable energy development, and analytical tools and advisory assistance.

In 2019, ADB committed a $300 million policy-based loan that will help Pakistan to address nancial sustainability, governance, and energy infrastructure policy constraints.

ADB's ongoing portfolio in the transport sector totals $2.5 billion and spans urban corridors, border crossing points, greeneld motorways and expressways, and existing national and provincial highways. In 2019, ADB committed a $75 million loan to widen and u p g r a d e 4 2 k i l o m e t e r s o f t h e b u s y Mardan–Swabi road in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

ADB successfully completed the Flood Emergency Reconstruction and Resilience Project, under which 1,740 km of provincial highways and districts roads were rehabilitated and repaired in 20 ood affected districts of Punjab. Another 204 km of major roads were rehabilitated, and 75 km of district roads were repaired in the three districts. About 800

hectares of landslide area was stabilized in the three northern districts using bio-engineering measures. The project also rehabilitated 90% of the ood protection infrastructure. Two new ood protection bunds are built along both banks of the river Jhelum with a cumulative length of about 7,300 meters. The project also developed the safety inspection manuals for dams and ood protection infrastructure.

ADB is also actively supporting Public-Private Partnership initiatives of the provinces and the Federal Government to support the delivery of public infrastructure with private sector participation, along with development of effective scal risk management functions.

Partnerships and Conancing ADB is implementing two loans of $100

million each for the provinces of Sindh and Punjab, with a conancing grant from DFID, Government of the UK. The projects are supporting PPPs in the provinces by augmenting the resources for Project Development Facility and Viability Gap Funding to structure and develop more viable PPP projects that offer value-for-money.

In 2019, ADB helped complete the125 kilometers Motorway M4 (Gojra-Khanewal

section). The ADB-administered M4 project was conanced with AIIB, alongside grant conancing from DFID. This was AIIB’s rst ever project.

The Pakistan National Transport Policy and Maser Plan supported by ADB and DFID was ofcially launched following its approval by the federal cabinet in 2018, and Road Safety and Road Asset Management secretariats promoted

under the National Transport Policy were established.

ADB secured nancing of $49 million ($37 million loan and $12 million grant) from the Green Climate Fund-supplementing a proposed

loan of $435 million; $235 million was from ADB and $100 million each from the Asian

Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Agence Française de Développement — to build a 26.6-km state-of-the-art BRT system in Karachi. Nonsovereign Operations

Commitments in nonsovereign operations funded by ordinary capital resources for the period 2007 to 2019 totaled $767 million, with $15 million committed in 2019. A $15 million

loan to Kashf Foundation was signed in August for the Expanding Access to Credit for Women Project. The funding will support Kashf Foundation’s lending to low-income women, female micro- and small entrepreneurs and low-cost schools in Pakistan.

ADB’s Trade Finance Program (TFP) lls market gaps by providing guarantees and loans through partner banks in support of trade. In Pakistan, the TFP works with 13 banks and has supported $16.03 billion in trade and 5,159 transactions as of November 2019 - 52.9% of the $16.03 billion was conanced by the private sector. The Supply Chain Finance Program has supported $0.88 million in trade over 5 transactions as of November in Pakistan and mobilized $0.44 million in conancing.

ADB Vice-President Shixin Chen met with the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan during his rst ofcial visit to the

country on 29–30 August, during which he reafrmed ADB’s support for Pakistan’s development priorities.

During his 2-day visit to Pakistan, VP Chen also met with the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Abdul Hafeez Shaikh; Minister for Economic Affairs Muhammad Hammad Azhar; Chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Program Sania Nishtar; Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan; and other senior government ofcials.

“ADB has an enduring development partnership with Pakistan. Over the last ve decades, Pakistan and ADB have worked together to develop the country ’s key infrastructure, promote exports and private sector efciency, reform publ ic sector management, develop the country’s nancial market, improve urban services, provide emergency assistance, and prioritize social sector.” said VP Chen. “ADB is committed to support the government’s reform agenda to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, develop key infrastructure, strengthen regional cooperation, attract investments, and promote industry and the private sector.”

“ADB plans to provide Pakistan about $7 b i l l ion in f resh ass i s tance for var ious development projects and policy-based programs during the next three years under its country operations business plan 2020–2022,

aimed at developing the country ’s social protection, urban services, energy security, transport, agriculture and water resources, education, trade, and tourism. This will help spur inclusive and sustainable economic growth,”VP Chen said.

During the visit, VP Chen visited the Hasan

Abdal–Havelian Expressway (E-35) constructed with the support of ADB and the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom, Pehur Irrigation Project, and a facilitation center of the Benazir Income Support Program, and met with beneciaries.

ADB also provided an additional financing of $200 million loan to help support the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) — part of the government's flagship Poverty Alleviation Program 'Ehsaas' which aims to reduce inequality and invest in economically disadvantaged people.

Minister for Economic Affairs, Hammad Azhar, witnessed signing of the assistance for economic recovery and energy sector reforms by ADB Country Director Xiaohong Yang and Secretary EAD Syed Pervaiz Abbas on 9 December 2019 in Islamabad.

Vice-President Shixin Chen Reaffirms ADB's Strong Commitment toPakistan's Development

ADB Vice-President VP Shixin Chen (second from right) and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan (right) during their meeting.

ADB is committed to support the government's reform agenda to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, develop key infrastructure, strengthen regional cooperation, attract investments, and promote industry and the private sector.

AD

B

PAKISTAN NEWS PAKISTAN NEWS

PID

PID

DG Werner Liepach, joined by ADB's Country Director for Pakistan Xiaohong Yang, apprising the Prime Minister about ADB's policy-based assistance geared towards economic stabilization and reforms in key sectors

January 2020

Continued from page 1

In 2019, ADB committed a $300 million policy-based loan that will help Pakistan to address financial sustainability, governance, and energy infrastructure policy constraints.

Ministers from the 11 member countries of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program have

endorsed a new strategy designed to improve mult imodal transport infrastructure and operations in the region, resulting in greater social and economic development in the next decade.

The CAREC Transport Strategy 2030,

which was signed on14 November at the 18th

CAREC Ministerial Conference in Uzbekistan,

addresses these challenges by promoting

international good practice in developing regional

and national transport policies, developing and

maintaining multimodal transport infrastructure,

and improv ing cross-border t ransport

operations. It will also target other procedural

and infrastructure bottlenecks that cause delays

and added costs along the CAREC economic

corridors.

The CAREC Energy Strategy 2030 outlines

a set of initiatives and policy recommendations to

be implemented over the next decade based on

regional cooperation, energy market reforms,

and green technology was also endorsed on the

occasion.

By working together, CAREC members will

be able to create new regional governance

systems to manage transmission systems

centrally. Elevating the grid and pipeline planning

from the national to regional level will lead to a

larger and more integrated energy market

equipped to cover seasonal variability and

uneven distribution of energy across the region.

Creating a stable power supply also enables

export to energy markets, such as the People's

Republic of China, Pakistan, and India, along with

new strategic transit opportunities for oil and gas

through Turkey and Georgia.

Vice-President Shixin Chen Affirms ADB's Support to Improve Capital Markets in CAREC Countries

Capital market regulators from countries of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program met

for the rst time in Islamabad to discuss ways to improve capital markets by enhancing access to nance, supporting private sector development, spurring economic activities, and strengthening regional cooperation and integration.

Jointly organized by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), ADB, the Central Depository of Pakistan, and the National Clearing Company of Pakistan Limited, the CAREC First Capital Market Regulators Forum held from 29 to 30 in August attracted high-level ofcials, including Pakistan’s Adviser on Finance Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh; SECP Chairman Aamir Ali Khan; ADB Vice-President Shixin Chen; and more than 150 regulators from the CAREC region.

The nancial sector in most CAREC countries remains dominated by traditional nancial institutions such as banks. Development of capital markets in the region is lagging, with some CAREC members ranked low in market capitalization, according to the 2018 Global Competitiveness Report. Improved capital markets can unlock much-needed resources to boost economic growth and help achieve sustainable development, while strengthening regional cooperation that promotes more effective and efcient cross-border trade and investments.

The forum included panel sessions and open discussions covering country case studies, as well as specic topics such as lessons from capital market integration, derivative market deve lopment , and ntech regu la t ion. Representatives from ministries of nance, central banks, capital market supervisory bodies from all CAREC countries, and relevant industry professionals participated as panelists in the various sessions to share and discuss best international practices with the participants.

The CAREC Program is a partnership of 11 countries—Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, the People ’s Republ ic o f China, Georg ia , Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Taj ik istan, Turkmenistan, and

Uzbekistan—to promote economic growth and development through regional cooperation, and supported by development partners. ADB hosts the CAREC Secretariat in its headquarters in Manila.

Pakistan Adviser to the Prime Minster on Finance and Revenue Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, ADB Vice-PresidentShixin Chen, and Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Aamir Ali Khan with the delegates of the rst CAREC Capital Market Regulators Forum in Islamabad.

REGIONAL COOPERATION

CAREC Ministers Endorse Regional Strategies forTransport and Energy Development

Kacific1 Satellite Launch to Bring Affordable Internet toRemote Parts of Asia and Pacific

Kacic Broadband Satellites International Limited (Kacic) has launched the Kacic1 satellite to expand high-speed broadband

internet access across Asia and the Pacic. ADB provided $50 million in nancing to Kacic for the satellite to deliver internet that will enable better education and health services, improve access to information, and drive more trade and connectivity between countries.

Kacic1, launched by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 17 December 2019, will orbit in the same location above Asia and the Pacic region during its estimated 15-year service life. The satellite will be able to deliver the most powerful signal ever achieved by a commercial satellite in the region, providing affordable broadband access to people in remote regions, many of whom have never had internet connectivity before.

Access to broadband internet can accelerate progress towards realizing the Sustainable Development Goals. It also helps ADB to meet opera t iona l p r ior i t i e s such as human development and social inclusion, improved education, better health access, gender equality and food security. This project can assist in climate adaptation and disaster resilience as well as climate-smart agricultural practices.

REGIONAL COOPERATION

January 2020 January 2020

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CAREC Capital Market Regulators Forum:

The first CAREC Capital Market Regulators Forum in Islamabad, Pakistan discussed access to finance reforms and private sector development through strengthened regional cooperation and integration of capital markets.

ADB Vice President Shixin Chen (left), Pakistan’s Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh (center), and SECP chairman Aamir Ali Khan addressing a panel session

Ministers from the 11 member countries of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program have

endorsed a new strategy designed to improve mult imodal transport infrastructure and operations in the region, resulting in greater social and economic development in the next decade.

The CAREC Transport Strategy 2030,

which was signed on14 November at the 18th

CAREC Ministerial Conference in Uzbekistan,

addresses these challenges by promoting

international good practice in developing regional

and national transport policies, developing and

maintaining multimodal transport infrastructure,

and improv ing cross-border t ransport

operations. It will also target other procedural

and infrastructure bottlenecks that cause delays

and added costs along the CAREC economic

corridors.

The CAREC Energy Strategy 2030 outlines

a set of initiatives and policy recommendations to

be implemented over the next decade based on

regional cooperation, energy market reforms,

and green technology was also endorsed on the

occasion.

By working together, CAREC members will

be able to create new regional governance

systems to manage transmission systems

centrally. Elevating the grid and pipeline planning

from the national to regional level will lead to a

larger and more integrated energy market

equipped to cover seasonal variability and

uneven distribution of energy across the region.

Creating a stable power supply also enables

export to energy markets, such as the People's

Republic of China, Pakistan, and India, along with

new strategic transit opportunities for oil and gas

through Turkey and Georgia.

Vice-President Shixin Chen Affirms ADB's Support to Improve Capital Markets in CAREC Countries

Capital market regulators from countries of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program met

for the rst time in Islamabad to discuss ways to improve capital markets by enhancing access to nance, supporting private sector development, spurring economic activities, and strengthening regional cooperation and integration.

Jointly organized by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), ADB, the Central Depository of Pakistan, and the National Clearing Company of Pakistan Limited, the CAREC First Capital Market Regulators Forum held from 29 to 30 in August attracted high-level ofcials, including Pakistan’s Adviser on Finance Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh; SECP Chairman Aamir Ali Khan; ADB Vice-President Shixin Chen; and more than 150 regulators from the CAREC region.

The nancial sector in most CAREC countries remains dominated by traditional nancial institutions such as banks. Development of capital markets in the region is lagging, with some CAREC members ranked low in market capitalization, according to the 2018 Global Competitiveness Report. Improved capital markets can unlock much-needed resources to boost economic growth and help achieve sustainable development, while strengthening regional cooperation that promotes more effective and efcient cross-border trade and investments.

The forum included panel sessions and open discussions covering country case studies, as well as specic topics such as lessons from capital market integration, derivative market deve lopment , and ntech regu la t ion. Representatives from ministries of nance, central banks, capital market supervisory bodies from all CAREC countries, and relevant industry professionals participated as panelists in the various sessions to share and discuss best international practices with the participants.

The CAREC Program is a partnership of 11 countries—Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, the People ’s Republ ic o f China, Georg ia , Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Taj ik istan, Turkmenistan, and

Uzbekistan—to promote economic growth and development through regional cooperation, and supported by development partners. ADB hosts the CAREC Secretariat in its headquarters in Manila.

Pakistan Adviser to the Prime Minster on Finance and Revenue Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, ADB Vice-PresidentShixin Chen, and Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Aamir Ali Khan with the delegates of the rst CAREC Capital Market Regulators Forum in Islamabad.

REGIONAL COOPERATION

CAREC Ministers Endorse Regional Strategies forTransport and Energy Development

Kacific1 Satellite Launch to Bring Affordable Internet toRemote Parts of Asia and Pacific

Kacic Broadband Satellites International Limited (Kacic) has launched the Kacic1 satellite to expand high-speed broadband

internet access across Asia and the Pacic. ADB provided $50 million in nancing to Kacic for the satellite to deliver internet that will enable better education and health services, improve access to information, and drive more trade and connectivity between countries.

Kacic1, launched by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 17 December 2019, will orbit in the same location above Asia and the Pacic region during its estimated 15-year service life. The satellite will be able to deliver the most powerful signal ever achieved by a commercial satellite in the region, providing affordable broadband access to people in remote regions, many of whom have never had internet connectivity before.

Access to broadband internet can accelerate progress towards realizing the Sustainable Development Goals. It also helps ADB to meet opera t iona l p r ior i t i e s such as human development and social inclusion, improved education, better health access, gender equality and food security. This project can assist in climate adaptation and disaster resilience as well as climate-smart agricultural practices.

REGIONAL COOPERATION

January 2020 January 2020

AD

BA

DB

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KA

CIF

IC

CAREC Capital Market Regulators Forum:

The first CAREC Capital Market Regulators Forum in Islamabad, Pakistan discussed access to finance reforms and private sector development through strengthened regional cooperation and integration of capital markets.

ADB Vice President Shixin Chen (left), Pakistan’s Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh (center), and SECP chairman Aamir Ali Khan addressing a panel session

Flood Reconstruction and Resilience Project

How Women-led GreenEnterprises Helped RebuildClimate-Resilient Roads

We were badly affected by the ood in 2014, not just us but the entire community,” says Saira Ilyas, nursery owner in Hajira village

in Poonch district near Islamabad.

“We were in a very difcult situation. Our homes were damaged, roads were cut off, nowhere to go, we faced starvation for three days” Jamila Bibi, Saira's neighbor added.

Challenges of post-ood recovery

Pakistan remain a disaster-prone country with frequent oods and other disasters caused by climate change disrupting lives. The 2014 oods affected thousands of villages, and displaced over 2.5 million across the country.

The mountainous Poonch, Kotli and Haveli districts near Islamabad suffered substantial damage to roads, livelihoods and basic services.

ADB on the request of the Government of Pakistan approved an emergency assistance to rebuild roads, bridges and other key infrastructure. The Flood Reconstruction and Resilience Project (FERRP) has

since helped rebuild damaged infrastructure to disaster-resilient standards.

“Due to the destruction of the road network, the transportation cost had risen very high, hence it was a critical time and restoration of roads was mandatory to rehabilitate the community” says Muhammad Bashir, Director General of the Project Coordination Unit.

“ The end to end deve lopment and reconstruction of seven arterial and 15 major inter-district roads were part of the project. This included 207 kilometers of reconstruction”

Responding with innovative resilience

An innovative women-led plantation initiative responded to the challenge of rebuilding roads.

The project, in coordination with the local forest and civil works departments, encouraged women to raise nurseries. The plants raised in these women

Women nursery owners in northern districts near Islamabadgrew millions of plants to protect roads and prevent future landslides, in the process creating jobs and financial independence for women in the villages.

owned nurseries were then procured for slope stabilization along the hilly roads.

“We observed that engineering was not sufcient to reduce any ood or disaster risk. Hence, we introduced the latest techniques of bioengineering with assistance of the forest department by planting plants and shrubs in the landslide areas” Mian Shaukat Sha, Senior Project Implementation Ofcer, ADB Pakistan recalls.

“We insured involvement of women in a sort of social engineering in the form of nurseries to create economic activity and jobs”

The plantations have provided smart solution to protect the roads against frequent landslides. The nurseries are creating jobs and resulting in nancial independence of women in the villages.

Blossoming women empowerment

Saira Ilyas says “because of the project the forest department needed more plants, and to meet the

demand, i expanded my nursery from 30 to 70 kanals, it has brought lots of prot” “with the savings, we have purchased land, other necessities of households. I am educating my sisters and have opened a school nearby”

The project also encouraged participation of women in protecting the new seedlings. The Forest Department employed large numbers of wardens to look after the treated landslides and plants. Out of 107 wardens recruited by the project, 23 were women.

Out of total 2.519 million procured plants by the project, 1.76 million (70%) were procured from women nursery owners which were used in the protection of roads using soil bio-engineering to prevent future landslides. In the process, the local women earned over 23.275 million rupees.

“We are helping other female nursery owners by giving them tubes and plants. All of us, women, sit together regularly. We discuss education and other issues. Now I am able to take decisions. Earlier no one used to take us seriously. Now whatever I say to

my father and husband, they listen and support!” says a beaming Saira Ilyas.

We are helping other female nursery owners by giving them tubes and plants. All of us, women, sit together regularly. We discuss education and other issues. Now I am able to take decisions. Earlier no one used to take us seriously. Now whatever I say to my father and husband, they listen and support!” says a beaming Saira Ilyas.

IMPACT STORY IMPACT STORY

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Flood Reconstruction and Resilience Project

How Women-led GreenEnterprises Helped RebuildClimate-Resilient Roads

We were badly affected by the ood in 2014, not just us but the entire community,” says Saira Ilyas, nursery owner in Hajira village

in Poonch district near Islamabad.

“We were in a very difcult situation. Our homes were damaged, roads were cut off, nowhere to go, we faced starvation for three days” Jamila Bibi, Saira's neighbor added.

Challenges of post-ood recovery

Pakistan remain a disaster-prone country with frequent oods and other disasters caused by climate change disrupting lives. The 2014 oods affected thousands of villages, and displaced over 2.5 million across the country.

The mountainous Poonch, Kotli and Haveli districts near Islamabad suffered substantial damage to roads, livelihoods and basic services.

ADB on the request of the Government of Pakistan approved an emergency assistance to rebuild roads, bridges and other key infrastructure. The Flood Reconstruction and Resilience Project (FERRP) has

since helped rebuild damaged infrastructure to disaster-resilient standards.

“Due to the destruction of the road network, the transportation cost had risen very high, hence it was a critical time and restoration of roads was mandatory to rehabilitate the community” says Muhammad Bashir, Director General of the Project Coordination Unit.

“ The end to end deve lopment and reconstruction of seven arterial and 15 major inter-district roads were part of the project. This included 207 kilometers of reconstruction”

Responding with innovative resilience

An innovative women-led plantation initiative responded to the challenge of rebuilding roads.

The project, in coordination with the local forest and civil works departments, encouraged women to raise nurseries. The plants raised in these women

Women nursery owners in northern districts near Islamabadgrew millions of plants to protect roads and prevent future landslides, in the process creating jobs and financial independence for women in the villages.

owned nurseries were then procured for slope stabilization along the hilly roads.

“We observed that engineering was not sufcient to reduce any ood or disaster risk. Hence, we introduced the latest techniques of bioengineering with assistance of the forest department by planting plants and shrubs in the landslide areas” Mian Shaukat Sha, Senior Project Implementation Ofcer, ADB Pakistan recalls.

“We insured involvement of women in a sort of social engineering in the form of nurseries to create economic activity and jobs”

The plantations have provided smart solution to protect the roads against frequent landslides. The nurseries are creating jobs and resulting in nancial independence of women in the villages.

Blossoming women empowerment

Saira Ilyas says “because of the project the forest department needed more plants, and to meet the

demand, i expanded my nursery from 30 to 70 kanals, it has brought lots of prot” “with the savings, we have purchased land, other necessities of households. I am educating my sisters and have opened a school nearby”

The project also encouraged participation of women in protecting the new seedlings. The Forest Department employed large numbers of wardens to look after the treated landslides and plants. Out of 107 wardens recruited by the project, 23 were women.

Out of total 2.519 million procured plants by the project, 1.76 million (70%) were procured from women nursery owners which were used in the protection of roads using soil bio-engineering to prevent future landslides. In the process, the local women earned over 23.275 million rupees.

“We are helping other female nursery owners by giving them tubes and plants. All of us, women, sit together regularly. We discuss education and other issues. Now I am able to take decisions. Earlier no one used to take us seriously. Now whatever I say to

my father and husband, they listen and support!” says a beaming Saira Ilyas.

We are helping other female nursery owners by giving them tubes and plants. All of us, women, sit together regularly. We discuss education and other issues. Now I am able to take decisions. Earlier no one used to take us seriously. Now whatever I say to my father and husband, they listen and support!” says a beaming Saira Ilyas.

IMPACT STORY IMPACT STORY

January 2020 January 2020

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Pakistan Innovative Finance Forum The first Pakistan Innovative Finance Forum was held in Islamabad in November 2019 to share knowledge and pool innovative ideas promoting private sector-driven infrastructure financing, and identify ways to enhance financing access for SMEs. United Kingdom's DFID funded Karandaaz Pakistan, in partnership with the ADB Institute (ADBI), and ADB, organized the forum to strategize increased public- and private-sector dialogue on infrastructure and SME finance, creation of innovative financing solutions, and global best practices. The forum explored innovative ways of leveraging private funds for investment in infrastructure and SMEs, discussed case studies of credit enhancement structures for infrastructure projects and financing for SMEs, and public-private partnership development within the sectors.

Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue

The government has restored macroeconomic stability. The current account surplus, a booming stock market, and stable reserves and exchange rate, are clear signs of recovery. We have created a platform on which to build and transform our economy, investment and business climate in the years ahead.

Mr. Asad Umar, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives

We must continue to explore innovative financing structures and instruments to meet country's growing infrastructure development needs. I look forward to a follow-up of the forum and sit down to break down and discuss action points where I can help

I congratulate ADB, Karandaaz and ABDI for organizing this event and bringing together experts and specialists in the finance, infrastructure and SME space. I am confident that the event will not only help us learn about some of the most pertinent examples from across the region, but will also promote cross-industry collaboration to help achieve our national development goals

Mr. Naoyuki Yoshino, Dean ADBI

“Spillover” tax revenue, linked to the development effects of infrastructure growth, could be used by governments of developing economies, such as Pakistan, to raise rates of return needed to encourage private investment in new projects.

SMEs should be an engine of growth for developing economies. A credible and accessible credit database of SMEs would go a long way in enabling financial institutions to properly assess risk and lend more to SMEs.

Mr. Hammad Azhar, Minister for Economic Affairs

Ingrid Van Wees, ADB Vice President for Finance and Risk Management

ADB recognizes the importance of a vibrant Public Private Partnership (PPP) and innovative financing needs of the SME sector. We are currently supporting three PPP initiatives in Punjab and Sindh provinces in partnership with the DFID. Private sector participation is vital to bridge the infrastructure investment gaps.

Ms. Xiaohong Yang, Country Director, ADB Pakistan

ADB's private sector operations work closely with our strong public sector portfolio. We are sharpening our focus on financing innovative and high-tech projects, women entrepreneurs, agriculture value chain, and SMEs, to boost business and job opportunities

FORUM FORUM

January 2020 January 2020

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Pakistan Innovative Finance Forum The first Pakistan Innovative Finance Forum was held in Islamabad in November 2019 to share knowledge and pool innovative ideas promoting private sector-driven infrastructure financing, and identify ways to enhance financing access for SMEs. United Kingdom's DFID funded Karandaaz Pakistan, in partnership with the ADB Institute (ADBI), and ADB, organized the forum to strategize increased public- and private-sector dialogue on infrastructure and SME finance, creation of innovative financing solutions, and global best practices. The forum explored innovative ways of leveraging private funds for investment in infrastructure and SMEs, discussed case studies of credit enhancement structures for infrastructure projects and financing for SMEs, and public-private partnership development within the sectors.

Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue

The government has restored macroeconomic stability. The current account surplus, a booming stock market, and stable reserves and exchange rate, are clear signs of recovery. We have created a platform on which to build and transform our economy, investment and business climate in the years ahead.

Mr. Asad Umar, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives

We must continue to explore innovative financing structures and instruments to meet country's growing infrastructure development needs. I look forward to a follow-up of the forum and sit down to break down and discuss action points where I can help

I congratulate ADB, Karandaaz and ABDI for organizing this event and bringing together experts and specialists in the finance, infrastructure and SME space. I am confident that the event will not only help us learn about some of the most pertinent examples from across the region, but will also promote cross-industry collaboration to help achieve our national development goals

Mr. Naoyuki Yoshino, Dean ADBI

“Spillover” tax revenue, linked to the development effects of infrastructure growth, could be used by governments of developing economies, such as Pakistan, to raise rates of return needed to encourage private investment in new projects.

SMEs should be an engine of growth for developing economies. A credible and accessible credit database of SMEs would go a long way in enabling financial institutions to properly assess risk and lend more to SMEs.

Mr. Hammad Azhar, Minister for Economic Affairs

Ingrid Van Wees, ADB Vice President for Finance and Risk Management

ADB recognizes the importance of a vibrant Public Private Partnership (PPP) and innovative financing needs of the SME sector. We are currently supporting three PPP initiatives in Punjab and Sindh provinces in partnership with the DFID. Private sector participation is vital to bridge the infrastructure investment gaps.

Ms. Xiaohong Yang, Country Director, ADB Pakistan

ADB's private sector operations work closely with our strong public sector portfolio. We are sharpening our focus on financing innovative and high-tech projects, women entrepreneurs, agriculture value chain, and SMEs, to boost business and job opportunities

FORUM FORUM

January 2020 January 2020

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ADB, Kashf Foundation Partner to ExpandWomen's Access to Credit in Pakistan

Accelerating Urban Projects with NewFinancing Instrument

ADB provided a $25 million syndicated loan to support the lending operations of Kashf Foundat ion, one of Pakistan's leading

micronance service providers to low-income households and women-led micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The loan approved in August will help expand women's access to nance in Pak is tan and empower them economically.

Access to nance is very limited in Pakistan, with only 21.3% of adults and 7% of women over the age of 15 having a bank account in scal year 2017. This situation is particularly acute for MSMEs and individual borrowers, especially women-run microenterprises, as these entities receive only about 7% of total bank credit to the private sector despite contributing around 40% to gross domestic product. MSMEs account for about 98% of all enterprises in Pakistan, employing more than 80% of the nonagricultural labor force.

ADB's assistance comprises an A loan (to be funded by ADB) of up to $15 million and a B loan of $10 million that will be funded by commercial conancers including international impact investors. The assistance will expand Kashf Foundation's lending operations and market base, giving more women and women-led MSMEs access to much-needed long-term nancing to further develop their livelihoods and incomes. Apart from microenterprise lending, the

project will support Kashf Foundation's other goals including narrowing the nancing gap in the private education sector and improving the quality of education at schools it supports. The successful

syndication of this transaction has allowed ADB to mobilize valuable investment from international impact investors into Pakistan's micronance sector.

ADB approved $9 million in project readiness nancing (PRF) to support the preparation and design of urban sector projects in Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa in March 2019 which will support the Government of Pakistan in accelerating the delivery of

critical infrastructure in the rapidly urbanizing province.

This is the rst project approved under the PRF in Central and West Asia, which is part of a set of new nancing instruments approved by ADB's Board of

Directors to help deliver projects in a faster and more responsive manner. The PRF features simplied documentation and supports project preparation and engineering design activities that help ensure that projects are “shovel ready,” reducing both overall time and cost to borrowers.

The PRF will support the preparation for the rst two phases of the proposed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement Project. The proposed projects will help the cities of Abbottabad, Kohat, Mardan, Peshawar, and others in KPK improve their access to quality urban services and civic amenities through enhanced municipal infrastructure, public urban spaces, and transport facilities. Up to 3.5 million people are expected to benet from the projects, which are to be conanced with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

ADB's nancing includes a $7 million loan and a $2 million grant from the Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund (UCCRTF), which was established in December 2013 by ADB with nancial support from the governments of Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the Rockefeller Foundation. The UCCRTF helps medium-sized cities in Asia build resilience to the effects of climate variability and climate change, particularly to reduce the vulnerability of the urban poor.

Dr Shamshad Akhtar, Chairperson Karandaaz Pakistan, and Former Governor State Bank of Pakistan

Infrastructure and SME development lie at the nexus of economic growth, productive investment, job creation, and poverty reduction. To enable these sectors to grow, access to financing is vital but it can be only leveraged provided the regulatory and institutional frameworks are supportive of nurturing a strong eco-system.

Syed Shabbar Zaidi, Chairman FBR

Pakistan's SMEs faces low access to credit against a sobering trend of low overall private sector credit. A contributing factor for this limited access to credit is the focus of banks on relationship lending without introducing tailored products suited to the needs of SMEs. Furthermore, the requirement for adequate collateral, information asymmetry between banks and SMEs, and lack of documentation and poor cash flow management on the SME’s part combine to make financing more difficult.

FORUM

ADB Country Director Xiaohong Yang exchanging pleasantries with H. E. Queen Maxima of the Netherland. The United Nation's Secretary General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance presided over the signing ceremony for Pakistan Micro Payment Gateway, an inclusive digital funds transfer initiative by the State Bank of Pakistan and Karaandaz.

The Forum also featured fireside-chats and panel discussions on financing mechanisms, PPP models for innovative financing, challenges and opportunities of private sector investment, and key legal and regulatory roadblocks to attracting private sector investments in Pakistan.

PAKISTAN NEWS

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ADB, Kashf Foundation Partner to ExpandWomen's Access to Credit in Pakistan

Accelerating Urban Projects with NewFinancing Instrument

ADB provided a $25 million syndicated loan to support the lending operations of Kashf Foundat ion, one of Pakistan's leading

micronance service providers to low-income households and women-led micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The loan approved in August will help expand women's access to nance in Pak is tan and empower them economically.

Access to nance is very limited in Pakistan, with only 21.3% of adults and 7% of women over the age of 15 having a bank account in scal year 2017. This situation is particularly acute for MSMEs and individual borrowers, especially women-run microenterprises, as these entities receive only about 7% of total bank credit to the private sector despite contributing around 40% to gross domestic product. MSMEs account for about 98% of all enterprises in Pakistan, employing more than 80% of the nonagricultural labor force.

ADB's assistance comprises an A loan (to be funded by ADB) of up to $15 million and a B loan of $10 million that will be funded by commercial conancers including international impact investors. The assistance will expand Kashf Foundation's lending operations and market base, giving more women and women-led MSMEs access to much-needed long-term nancing to further develop their livelihoods and incomes. Apart from microenterprise lending, the

project will support Kashf Foundation's other goals including narrowing the nancing gap in the private education sector and improving the quality of education at schools it supports. The successful

syndication of this transaction has allowed ADB to mobilize valuable investment from international impact investors into Pakistan's micronance sector.

ADB approved $9 million in project readiness nancing (PRF) to support the preparation and design of urban sector projects in Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa in March 2019 which will support the Government of Pakistan in accelerating the delivery of

critical infrastructure in the rapidly urbanizing province.

This is the rst project approved under the PRF in Central and West Asia, which is part of a set of new nancing instruments approved by ADB's Board of

Directors to help deliver projects in a faster and more responsive manner. The PRF features simplied documentation and supports project preparation and engineering design activities that help ensure that projects are “shovel ready,” reducing both overall time and cost to borrowers.

The PRF will support the preparation for the rst two phases of the proposed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement Project. The proposed projects will help the cities of Abbottabad, Kohat, Mardan, Peshawar, and others in KPK improve their access to quality urban services and civic amenities through enhanced municipal infrastructure, public urban spaces, and transport facilities. Up to 3.5 million people are expected to benet from the projects, which are to be conanced with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

ADB's nancing includes a $7 million loan and a $2 million grant from the Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund (UCCRTF), which was established in December 2013 by ADB with nancial support from the governments of Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the Rockefeller Foundation. The UCCRTF helps medium-sized cities in Asia build resilience to the effects of climate variability and climate change, particularly to reduce the vulnerability of the urban poor.

Dr Shamshad Akhtar, Chairperson Karandaaz Pakistan, and Former Governor State Bank of Pakistan

Infrastructure and SME development lie at the nexus of economic growth, productive investment, job creation, and poverty reduction. To enable these sectors to grow, access to financing is vital but it can be only leveraged provided the regulatory and institutional frameworks are supportive of nurturing a strong eco-system.

Syed Shabbar Zaidi, Chairman FBR

Pakistan's SMEs faces low access to credit against a sobering trend of low overall private sector credit. A contributing factor for this limited access to credit is the focus of banks on relationship lending without introducing tailored products suited to the needs of SMEs. Furthermore, the requirement for adequate collateral, information asymmetry between banks and SMEs, and lack of documentation and poor cash flow management on the SME’s part combine to make financing more difficult.

FORUM

ADB Country Director Xiaohong Yang exchanging pleasantries with H. E. Queen Maxima of the Netherland. The United Nation's Secretary General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance presided over the signing ceremony for Pakistan Micro Payment Gateway, an inclusive digital funds transfer initiative by the State Bank of Pakistan and Karaandaz.

The Forum also featured fireside-chats and panel discussions on financing mechanisms, PPP models for innovative financing, challenges and opportunities of private sector investment, and key legal and regulatory roadblocks to attracting private sector investments in Pakistan.

PAKISTAN NEWS

January 2020 January 2020

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ADB Project to Enhance SecondaryEducation in Sindh

ADB Provides $75 Million to UpgradeMardan–Swabi Road in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

ADB and the Government of Pakistan signed a loan agreement for $75 million to widen and upgrade 42 kilometers (km) of the busy

Mardan–Swabi road in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan.

The loan agreements were signed by ADB Country Director for Pakistan Ms. Xiaohong Yang and Secretary of the Economic Affairs Division Mr. Noor Ahmed on 26 February 2019 at a ceremony in Islamabad. Secretary of the Communications and Work Department Mr. Shahab Khattak represented Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority and the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The nancing for the new road section expands the scope of a $140 million loan for the ongoing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Road Improvement Project. The original project will improve eight sections of key provincial roads to improve transport efciency and safety.

The additional $75 million in nancing, approved by the ADB Board of Directors in December 2018, will upgrade the existing two-lane road between Mardan and Swabi to a four-lane divided road to accommodate increasing trafc and improve environmental resilience.

The Mardan–Swabi road spans the fertile agricultural and emerging industrial heartland of the

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province along the Indus and Kabul rivers. The region boasts rich Gandhara and Buddhist archeological and cultural heritage including the world heritage site of Takht Bhai. The upgraded road will ease trafc congestion and make travel faster and safer for tourists, commuters, and truckers in the

region.

The average daily trafc on the road connecting the two cities is about 7,000 vehicles, excluding the high volume of non-motorized trafc. Trafc will continue to grow at 3.4% annually.

ADB provided a $75 million loan for a project that will help improve the quality, accessibility, and gender responsiveness of the secondary

education system and infrastructure in the province of Sindh.

Pakistan has 22.8 million out-of-school children, 28% of whom are in Sindh. The province also has the second-lowest gross enrollment ratios and net enrollment rates at all education levels in the country. The Sindh Secondary Education Improvement Project, approved on 28 October 2019, will nance the construction of about 160 new secondary school blocks within existing government school compounds, largely in 10 districts in southern Sindh. The new blocks will feature gender-responsive features such as separate sanitation facilities and separate prayer rooms for females. They will also be tted with solar power. Secondary school blocks will be managed by private partners under the government's education management organizations program. The project will also improve teaching capacity in ve key subjects, namely English, mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics, through the introduction of a teacher training and mentoring program using information and

communication technology and state-of-the-art laboratory equipment in selected schools. The province's secondary education examination system will be improved by increasing its emphasis on critical thinking, providing of new technology, and capacity development for examination board assessors and

staff.

Total cost of the project is $82.5 million, with the Government of Pakistan contributing $7.5 million. The project is expected to the completed by the end of 2025.

Karachi Breeze Red Line: Pakistan's First Waste-to-Fuel Transport Project

The Karachi Breeze Red Line will be the rst transport system in Pakistan to use bio-methane produced from animal waste as a fuel

resource for its bus eet, providing an efcient and affordable transport solution for citizens and signicantly reducing carbon emission level in the city.

The feasibility and design for the biogas project was presented on 28 November 2019 at a national conference in Karachi organized by ADB in collaboration with the Government of Sindh, UN Green Climate Fund (GCF), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), all nanciers of the Karachi Red Line project.

According to the feasibility study, the Karachi Red Line BRT will have its own dedicated biogas plant located in the Landhi Cattle Colony, where 2,000 tons of cattle waste will be used to produce 60,000 Nm3 per day of biogas. The biogas plant will deliver 11 tons per day of Compressed Biomethane Gas to the bus eet, increasing to 17 tons over the life of the BRT line as demand increases.

Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh, Sindh Minister for Energy; Malik Amin Aslam, Federal Minister and Adviser to Prime Minister for Climate Change; Xiaohong Yang, ADB Country Director for Pakistan; Sindh Transport

and Mass Transit Department Minister, Awais Qadir Shah highlighted various features of the project.

ADB on 5 July 2019 approved a $235 million loan to help develop a bus rapid transit (BRT) system with innovative energy and climate resilience features that will enhance access to quality public transport for people in Karachi, Pakistan's largest and most populated city.

The Karachi Bus Rapid Transit Red Line Project will deliver the Bus Rapid Transit Line Red Line corridor and associated facilities beneting as many as 1.5 million people of Karachi's population. More than 300,000 passengers per day are expected on the Red Line BRT routes. ADB will partially administer two $100 million loans from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Agence Française de Développement to jointly nance the project's civil

works and equipment costs.

ADB will also administer a $37.2 million loan and an $11.8 million grant from the Green Climate Fund. The GCF loan will nance the biogas plant and the incremental cost of the transition from basic diesel bus technology to compressed natural gas hybrid bus technology, with the biomethane extracted from cattle waste.

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January 2020 January 2020

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The Karachi Red Line B R T w i l l h a v e i t s o w n ded i ca ted b iogas p lant located in the Landhi Cattle Colony.

Marc Barety, Ambassador of France to Pakistan and ADB Country Director Xiaohong Yang presenting the Karachi Breeze plaque to Malik Amin Aslam, Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change at the conference on 28 November 2019 in Karachi.

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ADB Project to Enhance SecondaryEducation in Sindh

ADB Provides $75 Million to UpgradeMardan–Swabi Road in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

ADB and the Government of Pakistan signed a loan agreement for $75 million to widen and upgrade 42 kilometers (km) of the busy

Mardan–Swabi road in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan.

The loan agreements were signed by ADB Country Director for Pakistan Ms. Xiaohong Yang and Secretary of the Economic Affairs Division Mr. Noor Ahmed on 26 February 2019 at a ceremony in Islamabad. Secretary of the Communications and Work Department Mr. Shahab Khattak represented Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority and the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The nancing for the new road section expands the scope of a $140 million loan for the ongoing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Road Improvement Project. The original project will improve eight sections of key provincial roads to improve transport efciency and safety.

The additional $75 million in nancing, approved by the ADB Board of Directors in December 2018, will upgrade the existing two-lane road between Mardan and Swabi to a four-lane divided road to accommodate increasing trafc and improve environmental resilience.

The Mardan–Swabi road spans the fertile agricultural and emerging industrial heartland of the

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province along the Indus and Kabul rivers. The region boasts rich Gandhara and Buddhist archeological and cultural heritage including the world heritage site of Takht Bhai. The upgraded road will ease trafc congestion and make travel faster and safer for tourists, commuters, and truckers in the

region.

The average daily trafc on the road connecting the two cities is about 7,000 vehicles, excluding the high volume of non-motorized trafc. Trafc will continue to grow at 3.4% annually.

ADB provided a $75 million loan for a project that will help improve the quality, accessibility, and gender responsiveness of the secondary

education system and infrastructure in the province of Sindh.

Pakistan has 22.8 million out-of-school children, 28% of whom are in Sindh. The province also has the second-lowest gross enrollment ratios and net enrollment rates at all education levels in the country. The Sindh Secondary Education Improvement Project, approved on 28 October 2019, will nance the construction of about 160 new secondary school blocks within existing government school compounds, largely in 10 districts in southern Sindh. The new blocks will feature gender-responsive features such as separate sanitation facilities and separate prayer rooms for females. They will also be tted with solar power. Secondary school blocks will be managed by private partners under the government's education management organizations program. The project will also improve teaching capacity in ve key subjects, namely English, mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics, through the introduction of a teacher training and mentoring program using information and

communication technology and state-of-the-art laboratory equipment in selected schools. The province's secondary education examination system will be improved by increasing its emphasis on critical thinking, providing of new technology, and capacity development for examination board assessors and

staff.

Total cost of the project is $82.5 million, with the Government of Pakistan contributing $7.5 million. The project is expected to the completed by the end of 2025.

Karachi Breeze Red Line: Pakistan's First Waste-to-Fuel Transport Project

The Karachi Breeze Red Line will be the rst transport system in Pakistan to use bio-methane produced from animal waste as a fuel

resource for its bus eet, providing an efcient and affordable transport solution for citizens and signicantly reducing carbon emission level in the city.

The feasibility and design for the biogas project was presented on 28 November 2019 at a national conference in Karachi organized by ADB in collaboration with the Government of Sindh, UN Green Climate Fund (GCF), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), all nanciers of the Karachi Red Line project.

According to the feasibility study, the Karachi Red Line BRT will have its own dedicated biogas plant located in the Landhi Cattle Colony, where 2,000 tons of cattle waste will be used to produce 60,000 Nm3 per day of biogas. The biogas plant will deliver 11 tons per day of Compressed Biomethane Gas to the bus eet, increasing to 17 tons over the life of the BRT line as demand increases.

Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh, Sindh Minister for Energy; Malik Amin Aslam, Federal Minister and Adviser to Prime Minister for Climate Change; Xiaohong Yang, ADB Country Director for Pakistan; Sindh Transport

and Mass Transit Department Minister, Awais Qadir Shah highlighted various features of the project.

ADB on 5 July 2019 approved a $235 million loan to help develop a bus rapid transit (BRT) system with innovative energy and climate resilience features that will enhance access to quality public transport for people in Karachi, Pakistan's largest and most populated city.

The Karachi Bus Rapid Transit Red Line Project will deliver the Bus Rapid Transit Line Red Line corridor and associated facilities beneting as many as 1.5 million people of Karachi's population. More than 300,000 passengers per day are expected on the Red Line BRT routes. ADB will partially administer two $100 million loans from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Agence Française de Développement to jointly nance the project's civil

works and equipment costs.

ADB will also administer a $37.2 million loan and an $11.8 million grant from the Green Climate Fund. The GCF loan will nance the biogas plant and the incremental cost of the transition from basic diesel bus technology to compressed natural gas hybrid bus technology, with the biomethane extracted from cattle waste.

PAKISTAN NEWS PAKISTAN NEWS

January 2020 January 2020

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The Karachi Red Line B R T w i l l h a v e i t s o w n ded i ca ted b iogas p lant located in the Landhi Cattle Colony.

Marc Barety, Ambassador of France to Pakistan and ADB Country Director Xiaohong Yang presenting the Karachi Breeze plaque to Malik Amin Aslam, Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change at the conference on 28 November 2019 in Karachi.

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ADB Partners Pakistan's Judiciary to Establish Asia's FirstCourt to Address Gender-Based Violence Cases

Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr. Justice Asif Saeed Khosa lauded ADB support to establish Asia's rst Gender Based Violence (GBV) Court in

Pakistan while addressing the concluding ceremony of a 3-week extensive GBV training program for judges

from all over Pakistan at the Punjab Judicial Academy in Lahore on 27 July. ADB Country Director Xiaohong Yang, OGC Principal Counsel Irum Ahsan also addressed the high-level audience.

Pakistan's National Judicial (Policy Making)

Committee (NJPMC), comprising senior Justices of the Supreme Court and Chief Justices of the High Courts under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, during their meeting in April 2019 requested ADB to assist Pakistan's judiciary to set up GBV-courts in all districts of Pakistan.

They also requested to provide specialized trainings for judges to strengthen judicial capacity on gender-based violence cases. This training program was delivered by ADB in response to NJPMC's dec is ion. Judges f rom Baluchis tan; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Punjab, Sindh, and Islamabad attended the training program.

Pakistan became the rst country in Asia and the Pacic region to formally establish a Gender Based Violence (GBV) Court to provide easy and speedy access to justice for vulnerable women facing violence. Secretary of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, Dr. Muhammad Raheem Awan, and Director General of Punjab Judicial Academy Abdul Sattar underscored the importance and need to extend gender-based training programs to judges and judicial staff of the district level courts across the country.

Pakistan in 2019 inaugurated the Gojra–Shorkot section of the Motorway M4 constructed with the support of ADB and the Department for

International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom, and the Shorkot–Khanewal road section, which is conanced by ADB, DFID, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

The M4 is part of Pakistan's plans to upgrade highway networks connecting the country's southern and northern parts, helping improve road links between Pakistan and the neighboring Central Asian countries as well as the People's Republic of China.

The M4 now connects Faisalabad with Multan and onward to Sukkur, it will ultimately provide an efcient transport corridor link between the northern part of the country with the port cities of Karachi and Gwadar. The M4 also link up these cities with the existing networks of national motorways M1, M2, and

M3, shortening the distance between southern Punjab with central and northern urban and business centers

including Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar.

Pakistan Opens Key Motorway (M-4) Co-funded by ADB,DFID, and AIIB

ADB Provides $107 Million for Water ResourceDevelopment in Balochistan Province

ADB and the Provincial Government of Balochistan signed the project agreement of a $107 million loan and grants to improve

irr igat ion infrastructure and water resource management in Balochistan, Pakistan's largest yet economically poor province.

Chief Minister of Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan witnessed the signing of the project agreement on 5 January 2019 by Additional Chief Secretary for Development Sajjad Ahmed Bhutta and ADB Country Director for Pakistan Xiaohong Yang in provincial capital Quetta.

Agriculture accounts for almost two-thirds of Balochistan's economic output and employs 60% of the province's 13 million population, but frequent droughts and poor water management has put the agriculture, and those who rely on it, at risk. Poverty rates in the province are almost double the national average.

The Balochistan Water Resources Development Sector Project will focus on improving irrigation infrastructure and water resource management in the Zhob and Mula river basins. The two rivers irrigate vast areas of farm land in Balochistan.

Among the infrastructure that will be upgraded or built for the project are watershed protection and command area able to hold 36 million cubic meters of water; 276 kilometers of irrigation channels and drainage canals; and facilities that will make it easier for people, especially women, to access water for domestic use. In total, about 16,592 hectares (ha) of land will be added or improved for irrigation.

The project will protect watersheds through extensive land and water conservation efforts, including planting trees on 4,145 ha of barren land to combat soil erosion. Its output includes pilot testing of technologies like solar-powered drip irrigation systems

on 130 ha of agricultural land, improving crop yields and water usage on 160 fruit and vegetable farms, and demonstrating high-value agriculture development.

ADB will also administer two grants for the project, including $3 million from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction and $2 million from the High-Level Technology Fund. In addition, a $2 million technical

assistance will help Balochistan's provincial government improve its institutional capacity to address the risks and potential impact of climate change in the agriculture sector, as well as build a climate-resilient and sustainable water resources management mechanism in the province.

Chief Minister of Balochistan province Jam Kamal Khan witnessed the signing of the project agreement by Additional Chief Secretary for Development Sajjad Ahmed Bhutta and ADB Country Director for Pakistan Xiaohong Yang in Quetta.

The new section of the motorway is a step forward in Pakistan's expanding high quality roads to facilitate improved north-south connectivity and to help position the country as trade, tourism, and industry hubs.

ADB supports Pakistan's Financial Action Task Force plan

Over 270 participants representing 35 commercial banks, 20 micronance companies, 38 exchange companies, and

regulators attended the 28-29 October conference held in Karachi on anti-money laundering and countering the nancing of terrorism and trade-based money laundering, jointly organized by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the ADB Trade Finance Program.

Governor State bank of Pakistan, Reza Baqir and ADB Country Director Xiaohong Yang delivered the opening remarks. Country Director Yang reiterated ADB's commitment to assist combat nancial crime and misuse of funds.

Livable Cities for All: Gender-Smart Urban Development

Mr. Atif Khan, Tourism Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province highlighted the importance of gender-smart urban

planning to leverage business opportunities for women, especially in the tourism related enterprises in Pakistan at an ADB seminar Livable Cities for All held on 4 April in Islamabad. Pakistan Resident Mission’s Zheng Wu shared ADB's experience and its key investments in Pakistan's urban sector development. Urban planning experts, public representatives, women entrepreneurs, and leaders attended the day-long seminar to discuss strategies for gender-friendly urban

space to expand opportunities for women in urban economy. The seminar provided a platform for professionals to exchange knowledge and local as well as international best practices in developing safer, accessible and affordable, women- friendly urban spaces and services to ensure inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction. The pilot project “Sustainable Urban Solutions for Women's Economic Empowerment” (nanced under RETA 9088) is based on the concept of creating urban women-friendly spaces particularly within the business centers to help women entrepreneurs realize their potential and capabilities.

PAKISTAN NEWS PAKISTAN NEWS

January 2020 January 2020

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SBP

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Country Director Yang reiterated ADB's commitment to assist combat financial crime and misuse of funds. Dr. Reza Baqir, Governor State Bank of Pakistan (6th from left) and Xiaohong Yang, Country Dirtector ADB (4th from

left) with other speakers of the AML conference on 28 October 2019 in Karachi.

Atif Khan, Tourism Minister of Khyber Pakhunkhwa province addressing the seminar.

Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr. Justice Asif Saeed Khosa addressing the judges participating in the GBV training program.

ADB Partners Pakistan's Judiciary to Establish Asia's FirstCourt to Address Gender-Based Violence Cases

Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr. Justice Asif Saeed Khosa lauded ADB support to establish Asia's rst Gender Based Violence (GBV) Court in

Pakistan while addressing the concluding ceremony of a 3-week extensive GBV training program for judges

from all over Pakistan at the Punjab Judicial Academy in Lahore on 27 July. ADB Country Director Xiaohong Yang, OGC Principal Counsel Irum Ahsan also addressed the high-level audience.

Pakistan's National Judicial (Policy Making)

Committee (NJPMC), comprising senior Justices of the Supreme Court and Chief Justices of the High Courts under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, during their meeting in April 2019 requested ADB to assist Pakistan's judiciary to set up GBV-courts in all districts of Pakistan.

They also requested to provide specialized trainings for judges to strengthen judicial capacity on gender-based violence cases. This training program was delivered by ADB in response to NJPMC's dec is ion. Judges f rom Baluchis tan; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Punjab, Sindh, and Islamabad attended the training program.

Pakistan became the rst country in Asia and the Pacic region to formally establish a Gender Based Violence (GBV) Court to provide easy and speedy access to justice for vulnerable women facing violence. Secretary of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, Dr. Muhammad Raheem Awan, and Director General of Punjab Judicial Academy Abdul Sattar underscored the importance and need to extend gender-based training programs to judges and judicial staff of the district level courts across the country.

Pakistan in 2019 inaugurated the Gojra–Shorkot section of the Motorway M4 constructed with the support of ADB and the Department for

International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom, and the Shorkot–Khanewal road section, which is conanced by ADB, DFID, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

The M4 is part of Pakistan's plans to upgrade highway networks connecting the country's southern and northern parts, helping improve road links between Pakistan and the neighboring Central Asian countries as well as the People's Republic of China.

The M4 now connects Faisalabad with Multan and onward to Sukkur, it will ultimately provide an efcient transport corridor link between the northern part of the country with the port cities of Karachi and Gwadar. The M4 also link up these cities with the existing networks of national motorways M1, M2, and

M3, shortening the distance between southern Punjab with central and northern urban and business centers

including Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar.

Pakistan Opens Key Motorway (M-4) Co-funded by ADB,DFID, and AIIB

ADB Provides $107 Million for Water ResourceDevelopment in Balochistan Province

ADB and the Provincial Government of Balochistan signed the project agreement of a $107 million loan and grants to improve

irr igat ion infrastructure and water resource management in Balochistan, Pakistan's largest yet economically poor province.

Chief Minister of Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan witnessed the signing of the project agreement on 5 January 2019 by Additional Chief Secretary for Development Sajjad Ahmed Bhutta and ADB Country Director for Pakistan Xiaohong Yang in provincial capital Quetta.

Agriculture accounts for almost two-thirds of Balochistan's economic output and employs 60% of the province's 13 million population, but frequent droughts and poor water management has put the agriculture, and those who rely on it, at risk. Poverty rates in the province are almost double the national average.

The Balochistan Water Resources Development Sector Project will focus on improving irrigation infrastructure and water resource management in the Zhob and Mula river basins. The two rivers irrigate vast areas of farm land in Balochistan.

Among the infrastructure that will be upgraded or built for the project are watershed protection and command area able to hold 36 million cubic meters of water; 276 kilometers of irrigation channels and drainage canals; and facilities that will make it easier for people, especially women, to access water for domestic use. In total, about 16,592 hectares (ha) of land will be added or improved for irrigation.

The project will protect watersheds through extensive land and water conservation efforts, including planting trees on 4,145 ha of barren land to combat soil erosion. Its output includes pilot testing of technologies like solar-powered drip irrigation systems

on 130 ha of agricultural land, improving crop yields and water usage on 160 fruit and vegetable farms, and demonstrating high-value agriculture development.

ADB will also administer two grants for the project, including $3 million from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction and $2 million from the High-Level Technology Fund. In addition, a $2 million technical

assistance will help Balochistan's provincial government improve its institutional capacity to address the risks and potential impact of climate change in the agriculture sector, as well as build a climate-resilient and sustainable water resources management mechanism in the province.

Chief Minister of Balochistan province Jam Kamal Khan witnessed the signing of the project agreement by Additional Chief Secretary for Development Sajjad Ahmed Bhutta and ADB Country Director for Pakistan Xiaohong Yang in Quetta.

The new section of the motorway is a step forward in Pakistan's expanding high quality roads to facilitate improved north-south connectivity and to help position the country as trade, tourism, and industry hubs.

ADB supports Pakistan's Financial Action Task Force plan

Over 270 participants representing 35 commercial banks, 20 micronance companies, 38 exchange companies, and

regulators attended the 28-29 October conference held in Karachi on anti-money laundering and countering the nancing of terrorism and trade-based money laundering, jointly organized by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the ADB Trade Finance Program.

Governor State bank of Pakistan, Reza Baqir and ADB Country Director Xiaohong Yang delivered the opening remarks. Country Director Yang reiterated ADB's commitment to assist combat nancial crime and misuse of funds.

Livable Cities for All: Gender-Smart Urban Development

Mr. Atif Khan, Tourism Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province highlighted the importance of gender-smart urban

planning to leverage business opportunities for women, especially in the tourism related enterprises in Pakistan at an ADB seminar Livable Cities for All held on 4 April in Islamabad. Pakistan Resident Mission’s Zheng Wu shared ADB's experience and its key investments in Pakistan's urban sector development. Urban planning experts, public representatives, women entrepreneurs, and leaders attended the day-long seminar to discuss strategies for gender-friendly urban

space to expand opportunities for women in urban economy. The seminar provided a platform for professionals to exchange knowledge and local as well as international best practices in developing safer, accessible and affordable, women- friendly urban spaces and services to ensure inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction. The pilot project “Sustainable Urban Solutions for Women's Economic Empowerment” (nanced under RETA 9088) is based on the concept of creating urban women-friendly spaces particularly within the business centers to help women entrepreneurs realize their potential and capabilities.

PAKISTAN NEWS PAKISTAN NEWS

January 2020 January 2020

AD

BA

DB

SBP

AD

B

Country Director Yang reiterated ADB's commitment to assist combat financial crime and misuse of funds. Dr. Reza Baqir, Governor State Bank of Pakistan (6th from left) and Xiaohong Yang, Country Dirtector ADB (4th from

left) with other speakers of the AML conference on 28 October 2019 in Karachi.

Atif Khan, Tourism Minister of Khyber Pakhunkhwa province addressing the seminar.

Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr. Justice Asif Saeed Khosa addressing the judges participating in the GBV training program.

Pakistan Resident Mission Edition • January 2020

This annual newsletter of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Pakistan Resident Mission (PRM) aims to enhance communications between ADB and its client groups. ADBReview Pakistan disseminates information on ADB activities and development issues in Pakistan. Articles in the newsletter, however,do not reect the ofcial ADB view.

Xiaohong YangCountry Director

M. Ismail KhanSenior External Relations Ofcer

Pakistan Resident MissionAsian Development BankGPO Box 1863, Islamabad, PakistanTel +92 51 260 0351–69 / 208 7300 Fax +92 51 208 7397–8, 260 0365-6Email:adbprm@adb.org

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/adbprm

• Twitter: @PakistanADB

• Send feedback to mikhan@adb.org

To visit our country website, go towww.adb.org/pakistan

To learn how to work with ADB, go tohttps://www.adb.org/business/main

T access ADB data library, go tohttps://data.adb.org/

For Asian Development Institute, go tohttps://www.adb.org/adbi/main

For the latest news, go tohttps://www.adb.org/news

n For publications, go to www.adb.org/

Publications

Prime Minister Imran Khan leads groundbreakingceremony of Jalalpur irrigation project

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan on 26 December led the groundbreaking ceremony for the ADB-funded Jalalpur

Irrigation Project, a new irrigation system set to convert over 68,000 hectares of rain-fed area to irrigated land benetting over 384,000 people. The $275 million project drawing water from the Jhelum River will boost agriculture and food security in the Jhelum and Khushab districts.

The Jalalpur Irrigation Project will build a new seasonal irrigation system and convert less productive, predominantly rain-fed land to irrigated land. The project will construct a diversion structure, a 117 kilometers main canal, 97 kilometers secondary and tertiary canals, and 485 watercourses. The project will also assist in forming 485 water user associations and involve them in planning, designing, and constructing watercourses.

ADB, Pakistan Prepares New Country PartnershipStrategy to Drive Economic Growth

ADB and the Government of Pakistan in July held a series of country consultations to formulate a new Country Partnership

Strategy (CPS), which wi l l guide ADB's engagement in the country from 2020 to 2024.

During consultation on 8 August in Islamabad, Nadeem Babar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for the Petroleum Division, discussed the implementation of energy sector reforms. Secretary for the Economic Affairs Division Noor Ahmed, ADB Senior Advisor for Central and West Asia Muhammad Ehsan Khan, ADB Country Director for Pakistan Xiaohong Yang, and ADB's Director for Reg iona l Cooperation and Operations Safdar Parvez also

discussed the development opportunities that the country presents.

Represen t a t i ve s o f t he p rov inc i a l governments o f Pun jab, S indh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Baluchistan outlined key features of their development and growth strategies.

The purpose of ADB's 5-year CPS is to dene priorities to support Pakistan's development goals. The new strategy will also complement efforts by other development partners.

Consultation meetings were also held in the provinces with the local governments and other stakeholders including academia, civil society, the private sector, and other development partners.

ADB Online

ADB Country Director for Pakistan Xiaohong Yang (leftmost) speaking at a consultation meeting to discuss ADB's new country partnership strategy for Pakistan.

January 2020

PID

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BPrime Minister Imran Khan leading the groundbreaking ceremony for the Jalalpur Irrigation Projecton 26 December 2019 in Jhelum, Pakistan.