Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced on Sunday that no additional taxes will be imposed in the provincial budget 2017-18.
While presiding a high-level meeting to take recommendations on the forthcoming provincial budget, Sharif claimed that the budget would be people-friendly. “The budget would be pro-people, pro-farmers and pro-businessman,” the chief minister added, “the government will expand the ambit of wellbeing programmes by adding more new schemes in the budget.”
The chief minister said that government will continue to pursue its policy of ‘equal progress for urban-rural areas’.
“We will allocate additional resources to underprivileged areas,” he added. Sharif said that it is his priority to provide quality public services to the people.
Reviewing in detail the priorities of Annual Development Programme 2017-18, Shehbaz Sharif said that Punjab government has achieved development targets of the current fiscal year through effective strategy. He said that the volume of Annual Development Programme for next fiscal year will be a record and timely and high standard completion of development projects are our priorities.
He said that more resources will be provided for the development of districts of South Punjab and prosperity of the people than the ratio of population next year as well, while the project of provision of drinkable water at a cost of billions of rupees will be launched.
He said implementation of this programme will be started simultaneously in 37 tehsils of South Punjab in the first phase. He said that more funds will be allocated for education, health, provision of clean drinking water and other social sectors.
New steps will be taken for further improvement in infrastructure and transport sectors, adding that timely, transparent and quality completion of development projects is our foremost responsibility.
He said that development of agriculture sector is of paramount importance for the stability of the economy and solid steps have been taken for the uplift of agriculture and welfare of farmers. He said that development of agriculture and provision of better facilities to the cultivators during next fiscal year is included in the government’s priorities.
He said that the pivot of all the priorities is the welfare of common man and speedy development of the province. He said that energy projects are being forwarded rapidly and added that darkness will be removed from the country in 2018.
The chief minister said that the journey of development will be continued with hard work and determination during next year.
The meeting also reviewed progress of development projects under Annual Development Programme 2016-17.
Provincial Ministers Malik Nadeem Kamran, Ayesha Ghaus Pasha; MNA Hamza Shehbaz, chief secretary, Advisor Umer Saif, additional chief secretary Home, Planning & Development chairman, secretaries of concerned departments and senior officials were present on the occasion, while Provincial Minister Rana Sanaullah participated in the meeting from Faisalabad and Senator Saood Majeed from Bahawalpur through video link.
