ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan and French Development Agency (AFD) have signed a grant agreement worth Euro 12 million in Ministry of Economic Affairs for a project aimed at strengthening water and sanitation service delivery across selected urban areas in Punjab. The agreement was signed by Mr. Kazim Niaz, Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs, and Mr. Nicolas Galey, the Ambassador of France to Pakistan and Mr. Vincent Thevenot, Director of AFD in Pakistan. This is a European Union grant which will be administered by AFD. The signing ceremony was attended by representatives of the European Union and the Government of Punjab.
The transformative initiative is designed to improve the governance, operational performance, and service quality of Water and Sanitation Agencies (WASA) Lahore and Faisalabad by focusing on three core areas. At the provincial level, it will develop and implement regulatory frameworks to strengthen the oversight role of the Housing, Urban Development & Public Health Engineering Department (HUD&PHED). At the utility level, modern technologies, systems, and business processes will be introduced to enhance operations, service delivery, and financial sustainability. Additionally, the project will support equipment procurement and digitization to enable data-driven and transparent decision-making within WASAs.
The project marks a significant step forward in Pakistan’s efforts to enhance urban water and sanitation infrastructure and improve public service delivery. It also reflects the Government’s commitment to building strong partnerships with international development partners to address urban development challenges and promote sustainable growth.
