Finance Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, hereon Thursday witnessed signing ceremony of Government of Japan /JICA loan of Japanese Yen 6.29 billion(equivalent to US$ 59 million approximately) for Government of Pakistan’s Polio Eradication initiative for next three years (2016-18).

The Official Note for the loan was exchanged at the ceremony. Mrs. Anjum Assad Amin, Additional Secretary, Economic Affairs Division and H.E. Mr. Takashi Kurai, the Ambassador of Japan signed the Exchange of Notes on behalf of their respective Governments

Loan Agreement was signed by Syed Mujtaba Hussain, Joint Secretary (Japan), Economic Affairs Division and Mr. Yasuhiro Tojo, Chief Representative, Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA).

The main objective of the program is procuring Oral Polio Vaccine and ensure administering the vaccine to children less than five (5) years, thereby contributing to early eradication of polio in Pakistan.

Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar on the occasion said Pakistan highly values continued support and cooperation from the Government of Japan and JICA for projects aimed at socio-economic development. He specially lauded the support for eradicating polio and making Pakistan a polio free country. The Minister said the present government has fully focused on polio eradication programme and Japan’s support would doubly strengthen its efforts.

Ambassador of Japan Mr. Takashi Kurai welcomed signing of the agreement. He said Japan has since 1996, supported polio eradication campaign in Pakistan and its total assistance in this regard including this soft loan reaches close to 22.6 billion Japanese Yen (approx US $ 212.5 million). The Ambassador hoped that this loan would be a “finishing blow” to polio infection and lead to complete polio eradication where “we can see all the children free from it”.