5-year development plan approved for Paktika

SHARAN (PAN): Officials and tribal elders approved a strategic five-year plan for southeastern Paktika province on Wednesday.

The directors, district chiefs, and tribal elders of the province reviewed the draft plan during a workshop conducted by the United Nations’ Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (Unama), Trade Department Director Mohammad Ayub Salarzai told Pajhwok Afghan News in an exclusive interview.

“The aim of the gathering was indentifying and approving the priorities and needs of the five-year development plan”, he said.

The draft plan had to be reviewed because it contained a large number of development schemes, some of which had already been implemented, said Salarzai. The current plan includes 633 different development schemes.

A commission led by Paktika Governor Mohibullah Samim was appointed to determine a budget for all the projects in the plan, he said. Some of the projects will likely cost millions of dollars.

Muhibbullah Samim, the governor for southeastern Paktika province

It would be a struggle to secure funding for all the schemes from the central government and aid organisations, Samim said.

The draft of the development plan will be given to Unama, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other donor agencies. The provincial development council would implement the projects upon approval, he said.

With the implementation of the strategic plan many problems of the people would be reduced, a resident of Khair Kot district, Sher Gul Katawazai, said.

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