PESHAWAR, Sep 24 (APP): Minister for Local Government, Elections and Rural Development, Arshad Ayub here on Wednesday attended a closing ceremony of the UK-funded Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) programme, as a chief guest.
Provincial Ministers, senior government officials, representatives from academia, civil society and partners attended the ceremony. The British High Commissioner for Pakistan, H.E Jane Marriott, was also present on this occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Provincial Minister Arshad Ayub noted that over the last few years, the province had faced immense challenges, from devastating floods to the pandemic, but had also shown resilience, determination and an ability to reform.
He emphasised that SEED programme had been an important partner in this journey, helping strengthen the very foundations of governance and investment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The minister highlighted that those reforms in public-private partnerships were opening new space for private investment in critical sectors, enabling a robust pipeline of projects across tourism, energy, infrastructure development, communication, and other sectors.
He also drew attention to the natural potential of the province, its young and talented population, rich natural resources, hydropower, agriculture, forests, and world-class tourism opportunities, and noted that with SEED’s support, work has begun to prepare the province for participation in forest carbon credit schemes and to register hydropower plants for International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs).
These initiatives will enable Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to generate additional revenues from its forests and clean energy, while supporting conservation, sustainability, and green growth. He added that integrated tourism zones are also being developed with SEED support to attract private investments.
The British High Commissioner commended the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for its leadership in advancing challenging yet essential reforms.
She highlighted that SEED had shown how adaptive partnerships can drive meaningful and lasting progress. She affirmed that the United Kingdom would continue to stand with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as it worked towards long-term growth and prosperity, particularly through trade, climate resilience and green investment.
British High Commissioner, Jane Marriott said, “From greener growth to smarter planning, the SEED programme has laid the foundations for a more resilient future. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has seen the impact of climate change, first-hand. And through SEED, we’ve shown what’s possible when strong partnerships focus on long-term solutions.”
Launched in 2020, SEED was a five years UK-funded programme designed to help Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province mobilise investment, strengthen public systems and improve the efficiency and sustainability of development spending. Over its course, the programme supported landmark reforms that are now embedded into government systems.