Country Director-World Bank Rachid Benmessaoud called on Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar Saturday at the finance ministry to discuss issues relating to the World Bank assistance to Pakistan.
The country director said they were encouraged by the positive trends of the economic indicators. He said they were working day and night for board meeting to be held on June 10 and hoped that the assistance for Dasu Project would be approved. He assured the finance minister that things were moving positively for Pakistan at the World Bank.
The finance minister expressed his gratitude on support of the World Bank for Pakistan Day (May 1, 2014) and appreciated early disbursement of the US $ 1 billion to Pakistan. He informed the country director that Pakistan’s economy was moving in the right direction and that they would continue to engage with multi-lateral fora including World Bank for assistance in energy and infrastructure development programmes initiated by the government.
He added that, in line with the vision of the prime minister to make Pakistan developed and prosperous country, the government had embarked upon a plan to meet the energy requirements and to make Pakistan an economically viable country. He emphasized that World Bank’s assistance in energy and development projects particularly on Dasu Dam and CASA – 1000 will help Pakistan progress.
The meeting was also attended by Shahid Mahmood, Special Assistant to the Finance Minister, and senior officials of the finance ministry.