Karachi (HRNW)- Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah met with Simon Andrews, Pakistan Division Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), where both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fields of health, social security, renewable energy, digital infrastructure, and economic development.
The meeting was attended by Provincial Minister for Development and Planning Jam Khan Shoro, Chief Secretary Asif Haider Shah, Principal Secretary Agha Wasif Abbas, Chairman Planning and Development Najam Shah, Secretary Finance Fayyaz Jatoi, and IFC representatives Naz Khan and Sahar Ijaz. The participants also discussed cooperation on international data centers and renewable energy projects in Sindh.
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that increasing renewable energy generation for the private sector is among the Sindh government’s top priorities. He added that improving agricultural supply chains, storage, and processing facilities would help increase farmers’ incomes.
He further said that a large number of farmers in Sindh own up to 25 acres of land and that the government plans to provide subsidized tractors to groups of two or three neighboring small farmers to improve agricultural productivity.
The IFC delegation expressed interest in supporting Sindh in the areas of human resource development, healthcare, and education. Both sides also agreed to collaborate on programs aimed at eliminating malnutrition and stunting among children.
The Chief Minister said Sindh aims to train 15,000 nurses annually, noting the country’s severe shortage of nursing professionals. He said the provincial government would work with the IFC to develop a comprehensive nursing education and training model.
The IFC also expressed its willingness to support the development of digital infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, and human resources in Sindh. Simon Andrews said the IFC looks forward to further strengthening its partnership with the Sindh government for the province’s sustainable and inclusive development.
The meeting also included discussions on integrating climate change risk management into public-private partnership (PPP) projects. Simon Andrews said the IFC’s Sustainable Infrastructure Advisory Program would provide technical assistance to Sindh in this regard.
The Sindh government’s PPP Unit also sought technical support from the IFC to address climate-related challenges and promote sustainable development. Both sides agreed to prepare a comprehensive implementation framework to make PPP projects more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
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