Japan Official Development Assistance Press Tour

     
On November 24th, 2016, the Embassy of Japan has organized “Japan Official Development Assistance (ODA) Press Tour” in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Islamabad, in which around 15 journalists from newspaper and TV channels have participated.
 
The purpose of the ODA Press Tour, which the Embassy organizes almost every year, is to increase awareness on Japanese Assistance Projects/Initiatives in Pakistan, showing the actual project sites to the journalists. Furthermore, it is also intended to inform the people of Pakistan about the contribution that the Government of Japan (GOP) has made for the development of Pakistan in various sectors.
 
This time, participated journalists, together with the members of the Embassy and JICA, undertook the one-day tour and visited two projects sites, which are (1) the Pakistan Institute for Medical Science (PIMS) and (2) the Construction Technology and Training Institute (CTTI). These are one of the most successful projects and symbols of Japanese cooperation towards Pakistan followed by Kohat Tunnel and Polio Eradication Projects.
 
Regarding PIMS, GOJ has been assisting this organization since 1980’s, just after its establishment, not only through constructing the Children Hospital, the Maternal and Child Health Care Center and the Colleges of Nursing and of Medical Technologies, but also through technical assistance by Japanese experts. The amount of Japanese assistance throughout the years is more than US$ 60 million. Now, PIMS has become a central hospital serving patients from across the country and also work as a center of the human development in the field of medicine. 
 
The Construction Machinery Training Center (CMTC), predecessor of CTTI, was established in 1986 with the assistance of GOJ. Afterwards, it has been upgraded and renamed as “CTTI” in 1992 and now is in the process of further up gradation to a University-level education organization. Japan has assisted the Government of Pakistan in construction of the Construction Machinery Training Center in 1986, and expansion and enhancement of its center in 1995 and 2006, which is worth US$ 50 million. GOJ has also extended technical cooperation under which it has assisted with the modification of curriculum and textbook and with provision of latest equipment in order to match modern technology and requirement of the industrial sector. Now, CTTI plays the leading role among these kinds of institutes by training youth generation including young people from FATA, by producing useful engineers, and also by providing 3^rd country training program through inviting students from Asia and African countries.
 
Mr. Takashi Harada, Economic Counsellor of the Embassy of Japan, said in the tour, “Government of Japan has contributed to the development of Pakistan in various areas especially in Human resource Development. The projects the journalists have visited today are good examples and results of our assistance and efforts of all related Pakistani counterparts. I hope the people of Pakistan will know more about our assistance, especially the diligence with which the Japanese experts are working together with Pakistani people for the betterment of Pakistan. The increased awareness regarding our assistance among Pakistanis will further strengthen the existing good relations  between the two countries.”  He also expressed Japan’s commitment for future assistance in the field, explaining about “the Industrial Human Resource Development Cooperation Initiative” under which Japan will assist the development of 40,000 Asian people in the period of three years from 2015 to 2017. (END)