Japan extends grant aid worth 2,892 mn Yen for 2 projects

ISLAMABAD, March 27 (APP):The Japan Tuesday agreed to extend grant assistance to the Pakistan, namely “the Economic and Social Development Programme”, worth 500 million Japanese Yen (approximately 4.7 million US dollar), and “the Project for Improvement of Airport Security (Phase 2)” worth 2.392 billion Japanese yen (approximately 22.5 million US dollar).
Charge d’Affaires ad interim of the Japan embassy, Takashi Harada and the Secretary of Economic Affairs Division (EAD), Syed Ghazanfar Abbas Jilani signed the agreement here.
The grant for “the Economic and Social Development Programme” will be used to procure equipment for meteorological observation. It will enable the Pakistan Meteorological Department to improve the accuracy of weather forecasts and to disseminate the early warnings for climate disaster.
The second project, “the Project for Improvement of Airport Security (Phase 2)” is a follow-up of the grant aid signed in 2013. Through the second phase project Japan will provide the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) with security equipment for screening of check-in baggage, hand baggage and vehicles at Karachi, Faisalabad, Multan and the New Islamabad International Airports, while the phase one project provided security equipment for Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad airports.
This equipment embrace the latest technology matching the international security standards set by the United States and the European Union. By installing this equipment, the risk of security related incidents at the four airports will be reduced, and operation of the airports will be improved.
Chief Representative of JICA Pakistan Office Yasuhiro Tojo said this project would support the Pakistan to achieve the key objective of the National Aviation Policy 2015 which is “to improve the governance and oversight for the compliance of ICAO standards of aviation safety, security and efficiency” in the country.
Acting Japanese Ambassador Takashi Harada said, “We appreciate the tireless efforts of the Pakistan for socio-economic development and improvement of security situation.”
He further emphasized that the two grants from Japan would support the work of the Pakistan and would strengthen the existing bond of friendship between the two countries.
The Japanse official while talking to a select group of the journalists here last night informed that Japan would not construct anything under those projects but would provide financial assistance for the purchase of the equipments.
About the airport security project, he said it would be completed within two years from preparing tender documents to installation including local human resource development to run and maintain the equipment.
An official from the CAA informed that the new Islamabad airport had been equipped with the screening facilities but at present those were manual proceedings. The Japanese assistance would ensure automatic processing and would enhance the efficiency.