Japan to implement seven new technical programmes in Pakistan

The Japanese government has decided to implement seven new technical cooperation programmes in Pakistan. These programmes include projects geared towards the improvement of health, education, and information technology, among others.

As reported by Dawn, these programmes are part of the 25 technical cooperation programmes that the Japanese government will implement in Pakistan, as per the announcement made by the Japanese embassy on Monday.

The cooperation programmes include the projects and dispatch of experts for improvement in health, education, agriculture, gender and information technology sectors and would be implemented by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) over a period of about three years.

The health sector programmes cover areas such as strengthening care for mothers, new-born and child health in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the education sector programmes are concerned with things like dispatching education policy adviser to Sindh, and strengthening community engagement and educational practices for better retention in Sindh.

The agriculture-focused projects will comprise providing technical support for livestock genetic improvement in Sindh and coaching trout farming technology in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Meanwhile, the projects focused on gender will promote a survivor-centered approach in gender-based violence in Punjab, and the IT projects will be dispatching technical adviser for ICT industry development in Pakistan.

Apart from an effective implementation of these programmes, JICA would also conduct online training to share Japanese expertise and experience under the restrictions on overseas travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Japanese Ambassador Matsuda Kuninori, citing his optimism on the new cooperation programmes, said that these projects with their successful implementation would greatly benefit the government and people of Pakistan at the federal and provincial levels.

He said that capacity building in health, education, agriculture, gender and ICT sectors was one of the priority areas for the Japanese assistance in Pakistan.

Mr Matsuda expressed the hope that these projects would contribute towards the bright future of Pakistan and further strengthen ties between the two countries.