Salman holds meetings with donors, development partners
By Asad Cheema

ISLAMABAD—Dr. Salman Shah, Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue here on Monday held a meeting with local heads of donor agencies and international development partners.
The meeting discussed different options and modalities to begin the reconstruction and rehabilitation phase in earthquake damaged AJK and NWFP after the completion of needed assessment survey and finalization of damage report by WB and ADB.
The donors and development partners included UNDP, WB, ADB, DFID-UK, European Union, USAID and Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC). Lt. General Mohammad Zubair, Chairman Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority, Hina Rabbani Khar Minister of State for Economic Affairs Division (EAD) and senior officials from Finance and EAD also attended the meeting.
The meeting was informed that first draft of the report will be ready for discussion by November 5 and it will be finalized by The early relief phase will be completed within six months and the rehabilitation and reconstruction will start immediately after that.
Fifteen clusters for development of different sectors including housing, education, health, transport, water, energy, institution building and social infrastructure etc, have been created and more than 50 experts from donors and development partners are associated with these clusters.
Based on the best practices and experience of global disaster management of the development partners, it was decided that an appropriate strategy for financial assistance to the needy victims in the form of cash grant for reconstruction of houses and cash for work to remove rubbles besides technical and material support also needs to be chalked out.
The Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Dr.Salman Shah asked the donor agencies to complete the needed assessment report expeditiously in order to prepare a strategy to rehabilitate the victims.
The EAD has already nominated the officers for the line institutions and Planning Division for each cluster group.
The strategy and options that will be developed by the expert working group for different clusters will be placed before the Cabinet Committee on Recovery and Reconstruction for decisions and implementation through the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority and the line Ministries and relevant government departments. Dr. Shah further suggested that the report/recommendations by the working groups should also include an estimate of funds required for all phases including relief, early rehabilitation and reconstruction with sector specific options.
It was also decided that the donors, development partners, senior officials of Finance and EAD including Chairman Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority will meet every Tuesday in the Ministry of Finance to review the progress.