ISLAMABAD (INP): The Government of Japan has decided to extend financial support totaling US$ 198,978 (approx. Rs. 20 million) to two Pakistani NGOs, Rahma Islamic Relief (US$ 99,924) and the Noor Foundation (US $ 99,054) for the improvement of health facilities and a rural road respectively. The agreements for the two projects were signed on Tuesday at the Japanese Ambassador’s residence in Islamabad, between H.E. Mr. Hiroshi Inomata, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan and the representatives of the two organizations.
The grant to Rahma Islamic Relief will be used for the provision of essential medical equipment and an ambulance to a hospital in Tehsil Liaquatpur, District Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab. The grant to the Noor Foundation hand will be utilized for the construction of a concrete link road in a rural part of District Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
At the signing ceremony, Ambassador Inomata highlighted that Japan’s Official Development Assistance Programme to Pakistan attaches high importance to the improvement of rural health services and enhancing people’s movement through the improvement of infrastructure. He also expressed his hope that these projects would result in uplifting the human well-being in the target areas and in doing so would undoubtedly enrich the excellent relations between the people of Japan and Pakistan.
Contracts for eight projects in the fields of education and health were signed earlier in September and in November. Hence, together with the two projects agreed on today, the amount the Government of Japan has provided to Pakistani NGOs during the current Japanese fiscal year (which starts in April) adds up to US $ 748,818 in total.
