The World Bank has downgraded the $200 million locust emergency and food security project for Pakistan to ‘Highly Unsatisfactory’, as project activities have not yet commenced.
Official documents of the project a copy of which is available with ProPakistani reveal that the project is expected to close on June 30, 2023. Counterparts are identifying interventions to be implemented in the period prior to project closing.
The project development objective was to control the locust outbreak, restore livelihoods in locust-affected areas, and strengthen Pakistan’s national food security monitoring and management system.
The Bank had earlier cancelled a partial commitment of $104 million bringing it down to $96 million, after facing inordinate delay in implementation.
The project was approved on July 31, 2020, but only $20 million have been disbursed so far and $78 million remain undisbursed. The closing date is June 30, 2023. The Mid-Term Review of the project will be organized by 31 Mach, 2023.
Project appears a failure mainly due to bureaucratic incompetency, where they tried to get PD and other staff from their brethren group (s).