Japan extends $3.7m grant aid to support Pakistan

Japan has decided to extend Non-Project Grant Aid (NPGA) of 300 million Yen (approx. US$ 3.7 million) to the Government of Pakistan.
The official Notes for the NPGA were duly signed and exchanged on Wednesday at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Statistics in Islamabad, the Japanese embassy said.
Hiroshi Oe, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan and Dr. Waqar Masood Khan, Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Statistics signed the documents.
This NPGA will be utilized to import the industrial goods manufactured by corporations of disaster affected area in East Japan, especially the hardest-hit Tohoku region.
Through this grant, medical and vocational training equipment will be provided to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Science (PIMS) and the Construction Technology Training Institute (CTTI).
In the signing ceremony, Mr. Hiroshi Oe, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan stated that PIMS and CTTI had been playing important roles in the socio-economic development of Pakistan for decades and expressed his appreciation for PIMS and CTTI officials for their past efforts in making effective use of Japan’s official development assistance (ODA).
Further, he mentioned that this Non-Project Grant Aid was valuable for both countries. This will surely contribute towards the improvement of medical services and human resource development of Pakistan. In addition, the restored local economy of East Japan, which was heavily affected by the unprecedented Earthquake and tsunami last year, is helping this Grant Aid. Mr. Oe considered this assistance as a sign of a powerful rise in Japanese people and its economy.
He expressed his hope that this project would contribute to strengthen the existing friendly relations between the people of Japan and Pakistan.