World Bank Senior Urban Specialist Rumana Haque visited the office of Punjab Municipal Development Fund Company (PMDFC) today, where Managing Director PMDFC, Syed Zahid Aziz, along with his team, gave a detailed briefing on the successful completion of the Punjab Cities Program (PCP), its key achievements, results, and the future roadmap with reference to the program objectives and Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs).
Syed Zahid Aziz stated that projects worth over PKR 30 billion were completed under the Punjab Cities Program to improve the delivery of municipal services in 16 cities across the province. These projects included the construction and up-gradation of comprehensive sewerage systems, water supply networks, and modern stormwater drainage infrastructure, which have significantly improved urban amenities.
The MD further informed that based on the sub-projects completed under PCP, special “Watson Units” are being established in an additional 16 cities under the Punjab Inclusive Cities Program (PICP). He added that with the deployment of municipal officers for Watson Services, there will be marked improvements in local governments’ service delivery, field response, and oversight of municipal service delivery.
Syed Zahid Aziz also highlighted that technology-based solutions were introduced during the program, which significantly enhanced the budget management, revenue, and service delivery capacity of 16 municipal committees. These included GIS mapping, the Baldiya Shikyaat App, LGFMIS, PMS, e-governance, and other IT tools, through which municipal governance has been further strengthened.
The MD emphasized that environmental and social safeguards were given top priority in all infrastructure projects under the program, contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals. World Bank Senior Urban Specialist Romana Haque appreciated PMDFC’s performance, teamwork, and the results achieved under the Punjab Cities Program.
