The country is passing through the most critical phase of its history and is braving terrorism, which has left a negative impact on the economy, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Tuesday.
He was talking to a World Bank delegation led by its Pakistan Country Director Rachid Ben Messaud at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
Provincial Food Minister Chuadhry Abdul Ghafoor, MPA Hafiz Mian Nauman, the Planning and Development chairman and finance secretary joined Shahbaz in the talks.
Talking to the delegation, Shahbaz said the Punjab government had decided to break the beggar’s bowl and develop its own resources, as the provincial government did not want aid but trade and required technical expertise for the development of various sectors. Shahbaz praised the cooperation of the World Bank for the uplift of various sectors in Punjab.
Messaud told the chief minister about the projects being implemented in the province in various sectors with the cooperation of the World Bank. He appreciated the priorities set in the new budget and said it would leave a positive impact on the development process in the province.
Highlighting the salient features of the new provincial budget, Shahbaz said it was a balanced, welfare-oriented budget that had been prepared in consultation with elected representatives, secretaries and experts.
He said solid measures had been taken for curtailing non-developmental expenditure and promoting austerity, adding that an example had already been set by reducing the province’s non-developmental expenditure by more than Rs 6 billion. Shahbaz said the tax net had been widened and now tax would also be levied on swimming pools, farmhouses and clubs. He said tax has been imposed on those who could afford to pay, while no burden had been put on the poor.
He said the promotion of education, especially vocational education, was essential for development, therefore, special attention had been paid to the field. Referring to measures taken for the uplift of the education sector, the chief minister said a 100 percent-enrolment programme was being implemented in the province and 80 percent of the target had been achieved so far.
He said IT labs had been set up in more than four thousand schools, while the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund had also been established. He said scholarships were being offered by the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund to thousands of talented boys and girls facing financial constraints in continuing their studies.
He said several students were enrolled at educational institutions like LUMS, FAST and NUST on basis of these scholarships.
Similarly, the Punjab Education Foundation was also playing an important role in the development of education sector, the chief minister said, adding that Daanish Schools had been established for the poorest of students in backward areas of the province.
Referring to the measures taken in the health sector, Shahbaz said free medicines and dialysis facility had been provided at public hospitals and mobile health units had been imported to provide modern treatment facilities to the people in remote areas at their doorsteps. He said six mobile health units were operating and 50 more units would be imported this year.
