Japan to increase ODA to Pakistan: The News

By By Israr Khan
6/4/2008 ISLAMABAD: The Japanese government on Tuesday assured to increase the volume of its Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Pakistan, with particular emphasis on infrastructure development, including focusing on highways, communication and alike.

It is worth mentioning that in April 2005, after a seven-year suspension, the then Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s visit to Pakistan announced resumption of yen loan it suspended after Islamabad May 28, 1998 nuclear explosions.

Current level of Japanese assistance to Pakistan is around $500 million per annum and now Tokyo has green signaled to positively review the size of Japanese economic assistance to Islamabad.

Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan, Seiji Kojima called on Syed Naveed Qamar Federal Minister for Finance, Privatisation & Investment here on Tuesday. It was bilaterally discussed that both the countries need to address the current upward spiral in international market oil prices that is impacting the developing countries growth.

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