ADB loan for Sindh infra development

Islamabad: The Pakistan province of Sindh will improve water and sanitation infrastructure in its secondary cities under a $300 million loan to the Sindh Cities Improvement Investment Program approved by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The loan, in the form of a multitranche financing facility (MFF), will support urban sector reforms and capacity development, and priority investment in water supply, wastewater, and solid waste management infrastructure for Sindh's secondary cities, said an ADB press release.

Sindh is the second most populous province in Pakistan. While about half the population lives in the major cities of Karachi and Hyderabad, six million people live in more than 20 secondary cities, where deficient basic urban services stifle economic growth and contribute to poverty.

The ADB loan facility will also assist the Sindh government establish local government-owned urban services corporations. These corporations will be professionally managed and guided by service agreements with the local governments for more efficient operations and financial management, sound corporate governance, improved cost recovery, enhanced accountability, and greater customer focus.