UNITED NATIONS – As several countries boosted their aid pledges for flood hit-Pakistan, the World Bank called on Pakistan to take steps to reassure donor countries that it is capable of using their funds responsibly and transparently and that it can enact reforms.
World Bank President Robert Zoellick made that call at a high-level meeting on PakistanÂ’s flood crisis in New York Sunday evening, attended by some 25 top diplomats from around the world as well as heads of international financial institutions.
The World Bank also stressed on Pakistani people to pay more taxes not only for rehabilitation and reconstruction of flood affectees but also for mobilising the world to pay for Pakistan.
The overall figure of fresh pledges made on Sunday was not immediately available.
Zoellick told the UN meeting, co-chaired by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, that Pakistan would have to prove its ability to manage foreign aid ahead of an October meeting in Brussels to review a flood damage assessment report the World Bank and Asian Development Bank are preparing.
He also called on Pakistan to mobilise its resources for the task and implement economic reforms.
“Maybe we can turn the tragedy into an opportunity, but we’ll succeed only if the government truly takes ownership and is backed seriously by donors,” he said.
In order for Pakistan to effectively use aid funds and secure additional donations, “the government will need a reconstruction founded on transparency, accountability, flexibility backed by law,” said Zoellick. “We have to work through Pakistani institutions.”
Zoellick underlined Pakistan’s central role in sustaining relief and reconstruction efforts. “We’ve seen fantastic capabilities with the Pakistani rescue efforts. We need to continue these and broaden these to the civilian and political segments.”
“We’re going to need Pakistanis to pay for Pakistan if we’re going to be able to mobilise the world to pay for Pakistan,” he said.
“To make most effective use of the help and even to secure full donor support, the government will need a reconstruction founded on transparency, accountability, flexibility, backed by law,” Zoellick added.
“Senior Pakistani officials have told us that this is what they wish to do,” he said. “Yet experience from many countries warns that the machinery tends to slide back to business as usual.”
He added that the Pakistani government should “continue to take concrete steps by the October meeting, backed by law, so we have an opportunity to build Pakistani ownership, governance and capacity.”
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton echoed Zoellick, saying that Pakistan must “lead by instituting the reforms that will pave the way to self-sufficiency.”
“The international community will support Pakistan’s efforts at reform and reconstruction,” she said.
Foreign Minister Qureshi responded to ZoellickÂ’s call for Pakistan to take the lead in its emergency response plan, saying that every dollar it receives “will be utilised in the most efficient manner … and in the most transparent manner.”
He reassured donor countries that their money will be not be wasted, and also stressed that the country would use its own resources to better the lives of flood victims.
“I want to assure the international community that every dollar being contributed will be well spent in a transparent manner and we have today in place an oversight mechanism, which is comprising of people with a lot of eminence and integrity,” Qureshi said.
“We, the people of Pakistan, intend to mobilise our national resources to overcome this challenge,” he added. “We cannot expect the world to foot the entire bill. We don’t expect that.”
The reluctance of the international community to respond to the initial appeal of $459 million made by the UN has been attributed to the concerns that the government have about misuse of the aid. That appeals is still under-funded.
Replying to a reporter’s question, Qureshi stressed that concerns about an existing “trust deficit” should not be overblown. “Let’s not exaggerate the trust deficit.we owe it to every contributor national and international to make sure that the money that is being given to us is being utilised efficiently.”
Under the terms of $11 billion in loans the International Monetary Fund has made to Pakistan in recent years, Islamabad had agreed to implement a number of reforms, such as improving the energy sector, boosting tax revenues and fiscal improvements. But it has been slow to implement those reforms.
The United Nations asked member states on Friday for $2 billion to help Pakistan recover from massive floods that have displaced millions of people, the largest natural disaster appeal in UN history.
Qureshi was also asked by reporters if the amount of aid that Pakistan had received so far was sufficient. “We need a lot more than what has been pledged,” Qureshi said, though he added that Pakistan did not expect other countries to “foot the entire bill.”
General Nadeem Ahmed, Chairman of PakistanÂ’s National Disaster Management Authority, told the meeting that the country was 80 percent short of the food aid it needs for the 20 million people affected by the floods, 87 percent short on water and sanitation, and 82 percent short on shelter.
In the course of the meeting, the most notable announcement came from BritainÂ’s International Development Minister Andrew Mitchell who said his government would provide a further $110 million immediately towards the relief effort. London has previously given Islamabad $100 million and $80 million in private donations.
Mitchell said that the funding would be directed toward three areas – rebuilding the agriculture sector and schools, and assisting southern Pakistan, where flood waters have yet to recede and fears of a health emergency continue.
The meeting mainly provided an opportunity for countries to reiterate their current commitments to Pakistan, with assurances that they would stand behind the resilient people o Pakistan in these critical times.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States has provided about $345 million in governmental assistance to Pakistan. “This money has gone to relief and early recovery, along with in-kind contributions and the very important rescue work that our military has done in rescuing 15,000 people and providing (more than 3.1 million kilograms) of relief supplies,” she said.
Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said that his country also has contributed $345 million in aid.
The European Union has pledged $315 million, and its High Representative Catherine Ashton called for additional short, medium and long-term packages covering humanitarian and development assistance as well as ambitious trade measures to give boost to PakistanÂ’s economy.
Iran said that it had immediately responded to the emergency aid in “brotherly” Pakistan and had now set aside 100 million dollars. Norway and Spain said they have boosted their respective contributions to $$66 million and $20 million respectively.
China, which spoke of special relationship with Pakistan, said it has contributed $320 million plus a host of relief services it is providing in flood-affected areas costing a lot of money.
Germany said that it had contributed 460 million while Australia said it is increasing its aid to $75 million.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told participants that this is one of the most complex natural disasters the United Nations has ever faced. “The flooding has affected an estimated 20 million people and 20 percent of Pakistan’s land. Eight to 12 million people need urgent humanitarian assistance,” he said.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the UN Secretary-General said that the gathering was intended to show the international communityÂ’s solidarity with the people of Pakistan.
“We are here to send a clear message that they are not alone,” he emphasised, adding “this will take much effort by all of us in the months and years to come.”