Message From Managing Director

The urban population of Pakistan is increasing very fast and according to some estimates the growth rate is 3.0 % as compared to national population growth rate of 1.8 %. Different estimates suggest that by this rate the urban population will be between 50 to 66 % of the total population by the year 2030. Clearly we are witnessing one of the fastest urban growths. On the other hand, the situation of municipal service delivery is far from satisfactory. According to estimates presently only 1 % of the total sewerage water is treated and rest flows untreated into our canals, rivers and other water bodies and contaminates them. Around 55% population gets water through piped water, though there is a big question mark on its quality. And only 50 % of the solid waste is collected which is not disposed off through sanitary land fill sites. Hence we have a crisis at hand in terms of municipal service delivery when we view the present service indicators in the context of accelerated urban growth. This situation needs intervention on two levels; infrastructure and institutional. This is exactly what PMDFC is doing. It is not only providing grants to the selected TMAs for improvement of municipal infrastructure but also helping to strengthen the institutions which are responsible for municipal service delivery.

Since its establishment, the Company has worked to develop a viable and sustainable framework for the improvement of municipal service delivery, which took a practical shape when in 2006 the Company started implementing WB-funded project titled, ‘Punjab Municipal Services Improvement Project (PMSIP). Through this project many new and innovative concepts were introduced. The more prominent features have been (i) selection of partner Tehsil Municipal Administrations (TMAs) on the basis of performance (ii) introduction and establishment of Performance Management System (PMS) in TMAs (iii) development of GIS-based municipal service delivery maps and undertaking of urban planning exercise (iv) and development of O&M guidelines for all the municipal sectors (v) inculcation of IT culture through training of staff and provision of computers.

The Company has piloted, tested and fine tuned all these institutional development activities for four years in the 37 TMAs which were selected on the basis of performance. Now it is implementing the ID component in all the TMAs (105 in number) of Punjab except the five City District Governments.

The organization has come a long way where its efforts in improving the municipal service delivery are acknowledged at all levels. But this is just the start and sustained efforts are expected by the PMDFC team. The good thing is that the organization is up to the challenge.

Muhammad Aamer Nazeer
Managing Director