LyrArc Article Gist
The U.S. Government Accountability Office says only $179.5 millon of the first $1.5 billion- in a five year aid program to Pakistan worth $7.5 billion- has been spent. USAID's director for Pakistan, Andrew Sisson, says the $1 billion from prior ununsed funds was spent in Pakistan in 2010. This includes $500 million for aid during the disastrous floods last year. Projects include the Gomal Zam Dam in South Waziristan, at a cost of $20 million. That project helped build a spillway to apower plant bringing electricity to a remote region in Pakistan. That dam was built by Chinese engineers from the Sinohydro Corporation. The Obama administration wants to see large signature projects to which it can point to as signs of success. With a failing economy, corruption and a weak civilian bureaucracy- especially with a weak and ineffective civilian government- getting projects implemented has proven extremely difficult. The U.S. government has committed to spending 50% of the aid money through the Pakistan government and not through civilian contractors with large overhead expenses.