Karachi: The Sindh Solar Energy Project is making steadfast progress. Successful solar system completion has been done at 33 out of 34 designated sites.

A meeting between the World Bank delegation and Sindh’s Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar was held on October 12, 2023. The Country Director Najy Binhussaine, World Bank, led the delegation of 12 members.

Other cabinet members, including Ishwar Lal, Omar Soomro, Rana Hussain, Chief Secretary Dr Fakhre Ala, PSCM Hassan Naqvi, Chairman Planning and Development Shakil Mangnejo, Secretary of Local Government Manzoor Shaikh, and other senior officials also joined the meeting.

The agenda of the meeting revolved around the overall World Bank-assisted portfolio in the Sindh province.

According to the current survey, 33 out of 34 designated sites have been successfully solarized, and the project is progressing at a rapid speed. Although, at the start, there were many delays in the project operations. However, the Sindh Caretaker Chief Minister assured the delegation that the Solar Sindh Energy Project would be completed by November 30, 2023. 

The Chairman of Planning and Development, Shakil Mangnejo, delivered a comprehensive briefing to the World Bank delegation highlighting the progress of the Sindh Solar Energy Project. He also underscored the challenges and hurdles that delayed the development of the project.

The Competitive and Livable City of Karachi (CLICK), Karachi Mobility, and Sindh Irrigated Agriculture Productivity Improvement Projects were also discussed in the meeting. 

At the end of the meeting, it was decided that the Sindh Solar Project would be reviewed after two months.

In Pakistan, 13 major World Bank-sponsored projects worth $3,218.3 million are underway in Sindh. $947.8 million has already been funded from this, which is 29% of the total financing amount. 

In the 2023 fiscal year, the World Bank is expected to release $415 million in funding, from which $133.8 million has been released.