India must focus on improving preparedness for proposed projects and work on maintaining a good track record of past projects for using to the fullest potential the overseas development assistance (ODA) offered by Japan to the country, a senior official from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has said.
“The resources of JICA are not unlimited and it also has accountability to tax payers. If India focusses on improving preparedness for proposed projects for funding, prioritises and also has good track record with past projects, it acts as a good strong weapon for JICA to convince Japanese government and society to support funding for more projects,” said Sakamoto Takema, Director General, South Asia Department, JICA (JICA) at a webinar on Japan ODA to India organised by ICRIER on Friday.
Noting that India was the largest recipient of ODA loan support from the country, Takema said that JICA, which provided the ODA, had a mission of promoting quality growth for prosperity with more jobs and investments, human secturity focussed on health, environment, social protection and ensuring that nobody got left behind.
He pointed out that it was important for the country to have one priority list representing the Indian government as often it happened that Chief Ministers of States came up with various lists of projects and it was difficult to choose between them.
Elaborating on the need for better preparedness, Takema said that while suggesting projects to JICA, there has to be enough work done of specifics such as Detailed Project Reports, budget, land availability, environment impact assessment etc. He recalled a particular project that was suggested by the Indian government and which was pursued very seriously by the Japanese government and at the last moment could not be executed as new challenges cropped up.
Much has changed since Japan extended its first ODA to India in 1958 and today India is an emerging power which today’s partnership has to take into consideration, pointed out Sanjay Kumar Verma, Indian Ambassador to Japan.
“Do we need to look at redefining terms and conditions of Japanase ODA to India is something which needs to be discussed,” he said adding that the two countries need to work on emerging essentials of national and global infrastructure such as digital cables, submarine cable and ICT network.
Verma pointed out that already a project to install undersea optical submarine cable system for high-speed internet connecting Andaman and Nicobar Islands to mainland India was underway, and the changing needs of India was something that needed to be kept in picture while formulating requests for new ODA.
He also said that Japan’s ODA to India created a win-win situation because not only did it help India meet its infrastructure and other needs, it also helped Japan to meet its global commitment of using ODA to promote sustainable development goals.