Latest news with #AnnaBjerde
Business Recorder
25-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Reforms key to recovery, poverty reduction for Pakistan: World Bank
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's path to sustainable economic recovery and poverty alleviation rests on comprehensive reforms that prioritise human capital, macroeconomic stability, climate resilience, sustainable energy, and private sector growth. This was stated by the World Bank Managing Director for Operations, Anna Bjerde, at the conclusion of a two-day visit to Pakistan. She commended the authorities for the reform momentum and stressed the need for continuity in implementation to sustain economic stability and to elicit a stronger investment and growth response by the private sector. Pakistan's economic turnaround wins global recognition: World Bank Anna Bjerde met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and expressed her appreciation for the collaboration on the new 10-year World Bank Group Country Partnership Framework with Pakistan. They also discussed the need for coordinated reforms at the federal and provincial levels to ensure sustained and inclusive growth. The World Bank official said, 'during my visit, we discussed the next steps on the reform agenda of the government, especially in the fiscal, digital, and energy sectors, as well as the potential of the country in terms of private-led growth and entrepreneurship, particularly to create quality jobs for women and youth.' She also met the Minister of Economic Affairs and Governor of the World Bank Group, Ahad Khan Cheema; the Minister of Finance and Revenue, Muhammad Aurangzeb; the Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal; the Minister of Energy (Power Division), Sardar Awais Laghari; the Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Syed Imran Ahmad Shah; the Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme, Rubina Khalid; the Chairman Federal Board of Revenue, Rashid Mahmood Langrial; as well as members of the National Assembly, the Senate, women leaders and other senior government representatives. The discussions focused on implementing the Country Partnership Framework to help address the most critical socio-economic challenges of the country, in terms of human capital development, particularly for women and girls, access to water and sanitation, climate resilience, and natural disaster risk reduction, and the foundations of private-led growth and job creation. Bjerde had the opportunity to visit the World Bank-supported project sites in Shaheed Benazirabad District in Sindh, where she was accompanied by Chief Minister Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, and Sindh Minister of Health, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho. She and the World Bank delegation were hosted by the First Lady of Pakistan and member of National Assembly, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari. The visit included meetings with beneficiaries and staff of the 2022 Sindh Flood Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project, as well as an exchange with the medical staff and female patients of a Basic Health Unit supported by the National Health Support Programme. While in Sindh, Bjerde exchanged with Chief Minister Shah and members of his Cabinet on ongoing and planned projects to support the development of the province. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
24-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
World Bank urges reform continuity
Listen to article World Bank Managing Director for Operations, Anna Bjerde, concluded a two-day visit to Pakistan yesterday and discussed coordination for economic reform between Pakistan and the World Bank. During her visit, she commended the authorities for the reform momentum and stressed the need for continuity in implementation to sustain economic stability and elicit a stronger investment and growth response by the private sector, said a release issued here. Bjerde met with Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and expressed appreciation for the collaboration on the new 10-year World Bank Group Country Partnership Framework with Pakistan. They also discussed the need for coordinated reforms at the federal and provincial levels to ensure sustained and inclusive growth. "Pakistan's path to sustainable economic recovery and poverty alleviation rests on comprehensive reforms that prioritise human capital, macroeconomic stability, climate resilience, sustainable energy and private sector growth," said Bjerde. "During my visit, we discussed the next steps on the reform agenda of the government, especially in the fiscal, digital, and energy sectors, as well as the potential of the country in terms of private-led growth and entrepreneurship, particularly to create quality jobs for women and youth." Bjerde also met the Minister of Economic Affairs and Governor of the World Bank Group, Ahad Khan Cheema; Minister of Finance and Revenue, Muhammad Aurangzeb; Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal; Minister of Energy (Power Division), Sardar Awais Laghari; Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Syed Imran Ahmad Shah; Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme, Rubina Khalid; Chairman Federal Board of Revenue, Rashid Mahmood Langrial; and other senior representatives. Discussions focused on implementing the Country Partnership Framework to address Pakistan's most critical socio-economic challenges, particularly for women and girls, including access to water, climate resilience, and private-sector job creation. In Sindh, she visited World Bank-supported project sites in Shaheed Benazirabad District with Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, and was hosted by First Lady and MNA Aseefa Bhutto Zardari.
Business Recorder
24-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Reforms key to recovery, poverty reduction: WB
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's path to sustainable economic recovery and poverty alleviation rests on comprehensive reforms that prioritise human capital, macroeconomic stability, climate resilience, sustainable energy, and private sector growth. This was stated by the World Bank Managing Director for Operations, Anna Bjerde, at the conclusion of a two-day visit to Pakistan. She commended the authorities for the reform momentum and stressed the need for continuity in implementation to sustain economic stability and to elicit a stronger investment and growth response by the private sector. Pakistan's economic turnaround wins global recognition: World Bank Anna Bjerde met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and expressed her appreciation for the collaboration on the new 10-year World Bank Group Country Partnership Framework with Pakistan. They also discussed the need for coordinated reforms at the federal and provincial levels to ensure sustained and inclusive growth. The World Bank official said, 'during my visit, we discussed the next steps on the reform agenda of the government, especially in the fiscal, digital, and energy sectors, as well as the potential of the country in terms of private-led growth and entrepreneurship, particularly to create quality jobs for women and youth.' She also met the Minister of Economic Affairs and Governor of the World Bank Group, Ahad Khan Cheema; the Minister of Finance and Revenue, Muhammad Aurangzeb; the Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal; the Minister of Energy (Power Division), Sardar Awais Laghari; the Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Syed Imran Ahmad Shah; the Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme, Rubina Khalid; the Chairman Federal Board of Revenue, Rashid Mahmood Langrial; as well as members of the National Assembly, the Senate, women leaders and other senior government representatives. The discussions focused on implementing the Country Partnership Framework to help address the most critical socio-economic challenges of the country, in terms of human capital development, particularly for women and girls, access to water and sanitation, climate resilience, and natural disaster risk reduction, and the foundations of private-led growth and job creation. Bjerde had the opportunity to visit the World Bank-supported project sites in Shaheed Benazirabad District in Sindh, where she was accompanied by Chief Minister Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, and Sindh Minister of Health, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho. She and the World Bank delegation were hosted by First Lady of Pakistan and member of National Assembly, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari. The visit included meetings with beneficiaries and staff of the 2022 Sindh Flood Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project, as well as an exchange with the medical staff and female patients of a Basic Health Unit supported by the National Health Support Programme. While in Sindh, Bjerde exchanged with Chief Minister Shah and members of his Cabinet on ongoing and planned projects to support the development of the province. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
23-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Pakistan discusses priority areas under CPF with World Bank team
ISLAMABAD: A high-level meeting was held Thursday at the Finance Division between Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb and a senior World Bank delegation led by Anna Bjerde, managing director for operations at the World Bank. The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, reviewing the World Bank's financing portfolio and accelerating the implementation of the newly-launched 10-year Country Partnership Framework (CPF). Key discussions revolved priority areas identified under the CPF, with a particular focus on climate resilience and population management—two of the six foundational pillars of the framework. World Bank defers additional $70m IDA credit to Pakistan Raises Revenue Both parties recognised the CPF as a critical tool for advancing sustainable development and achieving long-term economic stability in Pakistan. Anna Bjerde commended the Government of Pakistan for its continued commitment to difficult but essential reforms, praising its dedication to sustaining reform momentum in challenging circumstances. She also lauded Pakistan's political and economic leadership for its proactive stance on climate action and efforts to align economic growth with environmental sustainability. Minister Aurangzeb reaffirmed the Government of Pakistan's strong commitment to the CPF, stating, 'We are focused on ensuring that climate resilience and sustainable development remain at the heart of our economic planning. The CPF represents an important opportunity, and we aim to implement it with full coordination across key ministries and stakeholders.' He added that the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Climate Change, and other relevant bodies are working collaboratively to establish a robust implementation framework. He requested the World Bank to provide technical leadership and assistance to streamline processes and ensure a prioritised and focused rollout of the CPF. In response, Bjerde assured the World Bank's full support for Pakistan in achieving the objectives of the CPF. She expressed the bank's willingness to deepen its engagement across key reform areas including taxation, energy, and social protection. She emphasised particular support for initiatives aimed at girls' education and women empowerment, which she noted are critical to strengthening Pakistan's human capital and economic resilience. The meeting concluded with a mutual commitment to work closely in the coming months to operationalise the CPF and build a stronger, more resilient partnership for Pakistan's sustainable development. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
23-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
New CPF: Pakistan, World Bank agree to develop implementation framework
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the World Bank agreed to swiftly develop an implementation framework for effective implementation of the new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) to achieve the expected outcomes alongside solidifying a pipeline of projects for next two years. Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Ahad Cheema, held a meeting with Anna Bjerde, Managing Director for Operations (MDO) at the World Bank. The minister and MDO discussed measures to improve operational effectiveness of the ongoing portfolio and prospective areas of WB's support in the context of the new CPF of WB for Pakistan. Senior officers from both sides participated in the meeting. The minister appreciated continued support of WB to complement Pakistan's development agenda. He also lauded the proactive support of WB's country office, especially the leadership and facilitation provided by Najy Benhassine, the outgoing country director for Pakistan. The minister highlighted the remarkable economic turnaround achieved by Pakistan in a short span owing to Government of Pakistan's unwavering commitment to comprehensive economic reforms for achieving sustainable macroeconomic stability. The success of reforms and right direction of Pakistan's economic journey is validated by excellent progress on the ongoing Extended Fund Facility (EFF) as well as the recent upgraded credit rating by Fitch. The MDO, WB appreciated the Government of Pakistan for successful engagement with IMF and encouraging signs of economic recovery. She appreciated the leadership of the Prime Minister and the Minister for steering the preparation of the CPF and identifying its priority areas with primary focus on human capital development. She termed the CPF as a pioneering framework which would serve as a model for other members of WB. Both parties agreed to swiftly develop an implementation framework for effective implementation of the CPF to achieve the expected outcomes alongside solidifying a pipeline of projects for next two years. The minister asked WB to focus on social protection graduation programs for the provincial governments. He also highlighted the need to explore options and innovative approaches to reduce cost of energy generation to make it more competitive and affordable for the people. The MDO assured WB's support and technical assistance on both the key areas. The minister and the MDO agreed that the ongoing WB portfolio needs to lay a strong foundation for creating a more enabling environment for the private sector's enhanced contribution to the development process. The meeting concluded on a positive note, with both sides expressing their mutual commitment to a results-driven partnership that contributes meaningfully to improving the lives of the people of Pakistan. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
