Ambassador Jehangir Karamat was present at the formal ceremony held at the World Bank, during which WB Vice President Praful Patel and Minister (Economic), Embassy of Pakistan, signed the agreements on behalf of the governments of Pakistan and NWFP.
The amount has been disbursed for budgetary support in bullet form. The World Bank approved supplemental financing, which also includes another $270 million as additional project assistance. It also approved an additional $5 million from IBRD surplus for the same. The break-up is as under:
Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), $100 million; National Highway Authority (NHA), $100 million; AJK Community Infrastructure project, $30 million; re-allocation from existing projects, $40 million; total, $270 million; PRSC-I, $150 million; NWFP SAC-II, $50 million; Additional IBRD surplus grant, $5 million; grand total, $475 million.
Official sources said that so far the World Bank has not only been the biggest donor for poverty alleviation programme of Pakistan, but also a major contributor of the earthquake relief efforts in the country.