SINDH SPECIAL DEVELO

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The objectives of the Sindh Special Development Project are to support the first five years of the Government of Sindh's (GOS's) Policy Reform Program for the sector by: (a) financing an immediate action program to begin to deal with some of the most urgent environmental and infrastructure problems in Karachi and three interior cities; (b) supporting GOS's newly created policy-making machinery in implementation of its program of fiscal and administrative reforms; (c) initiating institutional strengthening for two key urban services organizations in Karachi; and (d) preparing engineering studies for future infrastructure and transport improvements in Karachi and three interior cities. The physical investment components are environmental upgrading and transport improvements. Environmental upgrading includes: (a) storm water drainage; and (b) flood protection. Transport improvements include: (a) construction of one bridge and widening and improvement of a second bridge in Karachi; (b) traffic management improvements in traffic circulation at sixteen intersections in Karachi; and (c) road and transport infrastructure improvements in the interior cities of Nawabshah, Larkana, and Mirpurkhas. The component for fiscal and administrative reform includes technical assistance together with associated equipment and vehicles to support: (a) property tax reform; (b) investment planning and budgeting throughout Sindh, both at the provincial and local government levels; and (c) financial management. The component for institutional strengthening consists of technical assistance and training to help strengthen the operations of the two major urban executing agencies in Karachi. The component for investment program preparation includes consultant services to prepare transport demand and management studies and engineering designs for future infrastructure improvements in three interior cities.