Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Mujawar said on Wednesday that the government is still facing challenges to supply additional funds for the third economic and social five-year plan (2006-2010).

In the opening of the first consultative meeting of Yemen and donors, Mujawar said the donors' $5 billion pledges have filled a part of the investment financial gap of the plan that amounted $25 billion.

Mujawar praised the donors' efforts to support the developmental path in the country, pointing that there are more organized challenges and problems hamper development works in Yemen.

"The government makes every efforts along with its developmental partners to achieve the goals of Millennium Development by 2015 according to the third economic and social five-year plan, investment program and the agenda of national reforms," said Mujawar.

Mujawar said that 66 percent of the donors' pledges have been devoted to a number of developmental projects, confirming the need to complete measures to sign agreements to enable the government to carry out blocked projects.

For his part, deputy Premier for Economic Affairs and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Abdul-Karim al-Arhabi said that the meeting is very important to evaluate level of the progress of gathering funds which have been promised in the London conference.

The meeting was held within the framework of the decisions of the conference which was held in London last November, 2006.

Donors and Gulf countries promised to offer fund for development projects in Yemen in order to improve economic growth and reduce poverty.

He reviewed key indications over process of collecting promises which reached around five billion dollars.
 
Director of the Economic Department at the GCC General Secretariat Abdul-Aziz al-Awaishiq renewed support of the GCC countries for the Yemeni efforts to carry out its economic and social development plan for 2006-2010.

 He said that third five year plan and investment program deserve highly appreciation as they succeeded to determine priorities of investment needs in the country.