Britain s Department for International Development (DFID) will spend around 100 million pound sterling in Pakistan this year including some 20 million pound for earthquake reconstruction and rehabilitation. This is part of a total contribution of 236 million pound over the three-year period from 2005 up to the end of this year, DFID director Dr Charlotte Seymour-Smith said while speaking at Punjab Development Forum (PDF). She said that over the last three years DFID s development cooperation with Pakistan has increased substantially. Referring to Prime Minister Tony Blair s visit to Pakistan in November last, Ms Smith said that he announced doubling of the UK s aid programme to Pakistan. Under this programme, Britain would provide 480 million pound during the period 2008-11. This is a huge increase in our contribution to the development and Pakistan and demonstrates our commitment to seeing Pakistan succeed in achieving its development objectives, she said. The DFID official said that Blair also signed a 10 year Development Partnership Arrangement between the UK and Pakistan. She said that the Punjab government has made strong policy commitments to development. DFID s partnership with Punjab is based on assisting the Government of Punjab in achieving these ambitious policy objectives, she added. Ms Smith said that over the past five years, the Government of Punjab has demonstrated success in implementing key reforms aimed at achieving faster progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. We acknowledge these successes and the determination to achieve further advances in the future, DFID official said. She said that DFID was now keen to build on this record of a successful relationship by moving into a new phase. At the Asia 2015 conference in London in March last year, attended by several representatives from Punjab, there was much discussion and recognition of the need to move towards mature partnerships between donors and countries in Asia, she added. DFID official hinted at the possibility of agreement on a longer term Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Punjab setting out shared objectives for development in the province and declaring the UK s long term commitment to providing appropriate support in helping these to be achieved. As part of this new approach, we want to move away from the management of individual projects and programmes. Our aim is to be able to consolidate the financial and technical support we provide to Punjab into one strategic programme, she said
