The present government has adopted a realistic socio-economic development approach in tandem with ensuring transparency, so it is high time for development partners to come forward and assist Pakistan to achieve ultimate progress and prosperity, Economic Affairs Division Secretary Nargis Sethi said on Saturday.
While chairing the 6th meeting of D-10 Forum, Nargis Sethi said the government was placing significant emphasis on improving the quality of governance and introducing reforms in public sector institutions to achieve maximum results in addition to improving country’s economy with an objective to improve the living standards of the people.
“The government has presented a comprehensive agenda for national renewal and real change, which seeks socio-economic development by generating opportunities and jobs, promoting equity, fairness and justice, on the foundation of democratic principles and above all, the rule of law,” she added.
She said the government envisaged a country with energy security, food security, economic revival, a new framework for social development, scientific and technological progress, provision of speedy and inexpensive justice, elimination of corruption, and promotion and protection of rights of women and non-Muslim Pakistanis.
She urged the development partners to come forward in assisting Pakistan to overcome the challenge of energy scarcity, saying “the more we invest in this sector, the more we will be in a position to transform the living standards of our people.”
She was of the view that Pakistan was a country of nearly 200 million people with unique geographical location and prospects to serve as trade corridor to the Central Asian countries.
However, she added, presently the country was facing serious challenges of terrorism, militancy, acute energy shortages, poverty, unemployment, water shortages and also natural calamities.
Despite these challenges it demonstrated remarkable resilience and has not given up as its economy is still growing and progressing.
She said the government was determined to work in unison with all its development partners in its endeavours to bring in structural reforms and also in the pursuit of its socio-economic development agenda.
She informed the forum that EAD had established foreign Assistance Monitoring Cell to keep a close watch on the effective utilization of the assistance from development partners.
She said in a short span of less than 30 days, the cell had identified some 50 projects, where improvement was needed.
She appreciated the support of development partners over the years and expressed the hope that they would continue to do so in future.
She said the present government had come up with a vision of Kashgar-Gwadar Economic Corridor that would not only be beneficial for Pakistan but will be a game changer for the three billion people of South Asia, Central Asia and the region.
On the occasion, the D-10 forum members agreed to hold next meeting within next three months and underline the importance of improving cooperation between various stakeholders to fast track work on socio-development projects.
