In Pakistan, the Japanese government has agreed to launch seven new technological cooperation programmes. Projects aimed at improving health, education, and information technology, among other things, are included in these programmes.
These programmes, according to Dawn, are among the 25 technical cooperation programmes that the Japanese government would conduct in Pakistan, as announced by the Japanese embassy on Monday.
The projects and expert dispatches for improvement in the health, education, agriculture, gender, and information technology sectors are part of the cooperation programmes, which will be executed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) over a period of time.
The health sector programmes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa include things like improving maternal, newborn, and child health, while the education sector programmes include things like sending an education policy adviser to Sindh and improving community engagement and educational practises for better retention in Sindh.
Technical assistance for livestock genetic development in Sindh and instructing trout farming technology in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are among the agriculture-focused programmes. Meanwhile, the gender-focused initiatives in Punjab will encourage a survivor-centered approach to gender-based violence, while the IT projects will send technical advisers to the province.
Apart from ensuring that these programmes are implemented effectively, JICA will also undertake online training to share Japanese expertise and experience in light of the COVID-19 pandemic’s travel restrictions.
Matsuda Kuninori, the Japanese ambassador, expressed his confidence about the new cooperation programmes, saying that their successful execution will considerably benefit the Pakistani government and people at the federal and provincial levels.
One of the major areas for Japanese support in Pakistan, he added, was capacity building in the health, education, agricultural, gender, and ICT sectors.
Mr. Matsuda expressed the expectation that these projects would contribute to Pakistan’s bright future while also strengthening bilateral ties.