Finance Ministry Clarifies News Report On Loan Offer From Japan

Ministry of Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Tuesday rebutted a news report appeared in a section of press regarding rejection of cheaper loan offer from Japan by Pakistan on February 18, saying that the impression that Pakistan refused Japanese offer of financial assistance is totally misleading

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Feb, 2018 ) :Ministry of Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Tuesday rebutted a news report appeared in a section of press regarding rejection of cheaper loan offer from Japan by Pakistan on February 18, saying that the impression that Pakistan refused Japanese offer of financial assistance is totally misleading.

"Negative reporting of this nature would discourage our bilateral partners who are thinking to enhance their assistance for Pakistan," a spokesman of the ministry said in a statement here. The spokesman said Japan has been one of the biggest development partners of Pakistan for the last over six decades.

Pakistan highly values Japan's economic assistance in the form of loan, grant and technical assistance. Currently, there are more than 20 projects in education, health, energy, infrastructure, environment, security and water sectors for which both loans and grants are being provided by the Government of Japan.

The government of Pakistan desires to further strengthen development cooperation with the government of Japan. In this regard, the 5th Japan-Pakistan High Level Economic Policy Dialogue (HLEPD) was scheduled on February 15, for enhancement of economic cooperation between the two countries, he added.

He said inter ministerial preparatory meetings were also conducted in which senior officer from the Prime Minister Office also participated. However, the said dialogue has been postponed due to an emergency in the family of the head of the Japanese delegation. The new dates will be mutually agreed soon.