LAHORE – Budget is central to the development processes, which is a documentation of resource allocations for the policy makers to focus for the common man’s welfare and providing basic necessities in less developed areas of the country. This was stated by the speakers at the one day provincial conference on “Monitoring and Achievements of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – Weakness and Threats of the Existing Budgetary Process” at Holiday Inn, on Thursday.
The conference was attended by representatives from development areas of Layyah, Kot Addu, Bhakkar, Multan, RY Khan and members of civil society organizations from Lahore. University of Central Punjab Professor Dr Qais Aslam, in his research paper on the eradication of poverty and hunger, stressed the need to evolve a long term policy for sustainable and equitable growth through skill enhancement and empowerment of vulnerable groups.
He said youth had to be facilitated on priority basis, and school education, teacher training and teaching methodologies for the masses needed to be universalized on scientific lines. He said basic health facilities; clean drinking water, subsidized basic medicines, patients’ insurance etc, needed to be ensured. He called upon the government to develop water and energy resources to meet current requirements and future challenges.
WWF Pakistan Sustainable Development Manager Asad Imran highlighted natural resource management issues in agriculture. University of Gujarat Press and Publication Director Mustafa Nazi, speaking on gender equality and women empowerment, said the budget was the main indicator of government’s priorities for which resources were prerequisites. He said the government had to take initiatives for achieving MDGs.
The conference was also addressed by Shamshad Quershi, Irfan Mufti and Azhar Lashari.
