[14/February/2010]

SANA'A, Feb.14 (Saba) – The parliament heard on Sunday explanatory answers to its questions on the third five-year plan for development by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Abdul-Karim al-Arhabi.

In his answers to the parliament's questions, al-Arhabi explained that the third five-year plan for development and poverty reduction (2006-2010) represents a qualitative leap in the government performance, including the plan's preparation and implementation and the investment program.

The plan has followed a planning methodology from the local level to the central level, in addition to the private sector's participation in the process, al-Arhabi added.

He said that it has been the first time to prepare the investment program and the five-year plan through taking advantages of the best professional practices and dealing flexibly and dynamically with the plan's objectives and determinants according to the developments at the various levels..., and this has positively reflected in the donors' satisfaction and admiration which represented in the unprecedented amount of support received by our country.

It can be referred to the investment program issued annually by the government, which shows the developmental projects approved in the program and the funding resources in the different sectors across the country, al-Arhabi indicated.

Regarding the results of London conference of donors in November, 2006 and its reflection on the development side, al-Arhabi said that the government has gained a good experience in management and exploitation of the available resources in general and the external finance in particular which positively reflected in the government performance.

In this respect, he pointed that the conference results and pledges of Yemen development partners have reflected the level of improvement in the government performance.

Meanwhile ,he revealed that $700 million amount of the pledges has not settled so far with some donors , noting that the value of the signed finance agreements has amounted to $3.36 billion ,about 70 percent of what has been allocated.

On the donors' pledges, al-Arhabi made it clear that the total sum of donors' pledges has amounted to about $5.76 billion by end of 2009, while the total of allocations reached $4.8 billion, about 83.1 percent out of the total pledges of donors.

With regard to the distribution of donor pledges at the London conference, al-Arhabi noted to efforts made by the government and other relevant agencies in collaboration with a number of brotherly and friendly countries and funding institutions, to reach a framework and specific features of what is required from the development partners.

Therefore the government provided a clear and scheduled vision of needs to the conference, as well as implementation tools, including the investment program and the financing gap needed, he explained.

He noted the attention given by the government to drinking water projects for all areas in the country, despite the scarcity of water resources.

The parliament's members expressed their appreciation for the successes achieved by the government in the development areas, stressing the importance of continuing efforts in this regard to push forward the development process.

BA
Saba