$1.15bn ADB boost to Pakistan’s Road and Reform programmes

Some $900 million in Asian Development Bank loans will be used to rehabilitate and expand Pakistan’s main highway network that runs North from the Southern port city of Karachi. The loans form a part of the $5.36 billion Pakistan National Highway Authority investment plan to relieve transport bottlenecks and open the way for economic growth and job creation. The upgrade is also crucial for regional trade flows and will allow Pakistan to act as a transit artery for goods moving between Arabian Sea ports in the South and Central Asia and the People’s Republic of China in the North.

A further $260m in loans and grants will be provided to the Punjab province to improve public sector efficiency, increase access to public services and accelerate private sector participation in service delivery to keep pace with the recent economic growth.