The government of Sind has invited expressions of interest by 15 July from consortiums of consultants for the Sind special development project, which is being backed by the World Bank.

Consultants are to help reform and plan for an initial five-year period for a diverse range of sectors including public finance, public policy, urban planning, property tax administration, urban renewal and redevelopment, municipal engineering, land management, environmental planning, institutional development and computer sciences. An estimated 100 international and 500 local staff months will be required.

The Sind special development project involves a programme of policy and administrative reforms at provincial and municipal levels. It also includes financing transport and environmental improvements in Karachi and other selected interior cities.

The project is financed by a $46.8 million International Development Association (IDA) credit. The remainder is financed by the Sindh government itself. The technical assistance element is worth $6 million. It is different to usual IDA projects in that it involves a policy reform package that will drive the physical infrastructure investments over a 15-20 year period, the IDA says.