Daily Times

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, during a meeting at the Planning and Development Board, reviewed each development project of Annual Development Program 2024-25.

The CM directed the authorities concerned to ensure timely completion of projects in any case. She directed the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) to create a dashboard for real-time monitoring of all projects. “We have a lot of work to do; PC-1 of all schemes should be submitted by July 15,” she instructed and stressed for timely completion of all schemes.

The CM said if funds were spent on cars and offices, why not on hospitals, directing the departments concerned to form a company for export of meat, prawns, animals and garments.

The meeting was briefed that ambulance service was being started at every interchange of motorways in Punjab. As many as 106 development projects would be completed with the support and collaboration of foreign funding.

The CM ordered to immediately release Rs 400 million for the ongoing development projects, besides the release of remaining allocated funds based on the utilisation of funds. She also ordered to release 25 per cent of the Universal Health Insurance fund on monthly basis.

Details of 83 projects of the District Development Committee and 431 projects of the Divisional Development Working Party were presented in the meeting. The CM reviewed progress on 282 projects of the Departmental Development Sub-Committee and 378 projects of the Provincial Development Working Party. She had a detailed briefing on special schemes of the Department of Health, and directed the authorities concerned to take all possible measures to ensure early completion of renovation and rehabilitation of health centers across Punjab.

Maryam Nawaz gave a deadline of August 13 to start the construction of 189 km-long Chichawatni-Layyah road, and 93 km-long Multan-Vehari road. She was briefed that the construction of Sahiwal-Saharani and Bahawalnagar-Jhangra East Interchange Road will also be started by August 13. She was apprised the construction of Faisalabad-Chiniot-Sargodha Road will start on July 31.

Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, provincial ministers Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Khawaja Salman Rafiq, Khawaja Imran Nazir, Syed Ashiq Hussain, Rana Sikandar Hayat, Soheib Ahmad Malik, Sohail Shaukat Butt, Bilal Akbar Khan, Zeeshan Rafiq, Faisal Khokhar; Special Assistants Zeeshan Malik and Rashid Nasrullah attended the meeting. Chief Secretary, IG, Chairman P&D, Secretaries and other officers concerned were also present.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz stated on Thursday that fostering a conducive environment for entrepreneurship ranked high among the priorities of the Punjab government.

In a message marking the Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day, the chief minister highlighted the significance of encouraging innovation in small businesses and entrepreneurship, emphasising that enterprises formed the backbone of the economy. Maryam reiterated the Punjab government’s commitment to supporting SMEs (small and medium enterprises) through business-friendly policies and creating an environment conducive to investment in small businesses.

Acknowledging the challenges faced by MSMEs [micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises], Maryam underscored her government’s efforts to address these challenges and provide necessary assistance.

The chief minister stressed the importance of enhancing logistics support, technology access and market connectivity for SMEs, noting their pivotal role in economic development and in reducing economic inequality. Maryam also highlighted that SMEs in Punjab contributed significantly to employment generation and GDP, operating across diverse sectors, such as manufacturing, services, trade and exports.

The CM outlined special initiatives to promote agriculture, livestock and garment sectors through agricultural loans, digital technologies and e-commerce platforms, aiming to stimulate growth opportunities.

Maryam also underscored the Punjab government’s efforts to facilitate SMEs’ access to international markets, aiming to bolster their export capabilities, reaffirming commitment to nurturing an entrepreneurial culture across all sectors in Punjab.