Daily Times

Pakistan Muslim League — Noon (PML-N)’s government ended its tenure on May 31, 2018, but not before presenting one last budget. The current budget, which is the sixth for the party during its five-year rule, includes the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). The current budget has the highest-ever allocation of funds for the department, i.e. Rs. 1,030 billion have been set aside to accelerate development activities.

Determined efforts have been made to ensure that PSDP is aligned with the development objectives laid out under Vision 2025 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The national development plan has been formulated by adopting an inclusive, consultative and participatory approach at the appropriate level, and it is in accordance with the division of subjects between the federal and provincial governments.

The amount has jumped from Rs. 1,001 billion, which was the budget allocated last year. It is pertinent to mention here that the federal government continues to support the provinces in areas of health, education and infrastructure, even after the 18th Amendment.

The Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform held detailed discussions in bilateral meetings, and distributed available resources among the ministries and divisions of the federal government, keeping in view the respective portfolio of ongoing projects and future programmes.

Accordingly, a significant portion- as much as 63 percent of the PSDP — has been earmarked for the ongoing projects. This is to ensure that a maximum number of projects are completed within the stipulated period, without suffering from undue time and cost overruns.

According to the data available with this scribe from the official quarters concerned, the following are the main features of the development agenda for the next financial year.

The infrastructure sector is very important not only for attracting much-needed foreign investment but also for appreciably reducing the cost of doing business. Accordingly, this sector has been allocated as much as 62 percent of the total development budget of the country. Within the sector itself, the highest priority has been accorded to the transport and communication sector, with a huge allocation of Rs. 400 billion for national highways, railways and aviation schemes, such as Gwadar International Airport.

The railway system is being given a much-needed boost by the federal government. Allocation for this department has been increased from Rs. 16 billion in 2013, to Rs. 43 billion in 2018.

During the financial year 2018-19, the federal government, despite fiscal difficulties, has tried to adequately finance the railway mainline, commonly known as ML-1. This will not only modernise railway networks across the country but will also give a boost to CPEC.To increase railway capability and moderniseits infrastructure, new projects will be initiated during the next financial year.

There is no denying the bitter fact that the energy sector was the hardest hit sector of the national economy prior to 2013. During the period 2013-18, a huge allocation of Rs. 1.5 trillion was made to this important sector. Resultantly, through determined and committed efforts, up to 10,000-megawatt units of electricity have been added to the national grid.

It is a well-established fact that CPEC offers a game-changing opportunity fore conomic growth and employment to our people, and future generations, in all regions across the country.

CPEC-related projects will be entering their third year of implementation during 2018-19. During this period, new projects worth Rs. 835 billion will be added to the CPEC and its supporting projects. As many as 31 projects targeting development in Gwadar are part of the PSDP 2018-19, with an estimated cost of Rs. 137 billion.

CPEC-related projects will be entering their third year of implementation during 2018-19. During this period, new projects costing Rs. 835 billion will also be added to CPEC and its supporting projects

Pakistan has been facing acute water scarcity for quite some time. For conservation of water and its augmentation during the next financial year, water sector allocation has been substantially enhanced from Rs. 36 billion during the outgoing fiscal year to Rs. 65 billion during 2018-19. In the water sector,seven new schemes worth Rs. 849 billion are going tobe launched during FY 2018-19.

The federal government assigns high priority to human resource development in the country. Accordingly, an allocation of Rs. 57 billion has been provided for education-related programmes.

Health and population-related subjects are the responsibility of the provincial government. However, in view of their importance, the federal government continues to supplement the efforts of the provinces, by financing major programmes for health and population welfare, including an expanded programme of immunisation, control of hepatitis, malaria and blindness. Furthermore, resources have also been earmarked to finance the Prime Minister National Health Programme Phase-11, the construction of a medical college in Islamabad, and the establishment of acentre for neurosciences at PIMS Islamabad and Cancer Hospital Islamabad.

Exports have also been addressed and efforts are underway to upgrade Pakistan’s expo game. Accordingly, the expo centre of Karachi is to be upgraded, while moreexpo centres are planned for Peshawar, Quetta and Islamabad.

To ensure fast-track development of special areas, Rs. 62 billion has been provided for Gilgit-Baltistan, Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The federal government has already approved a 10-year FATA-development plan with a total outlay of Rs. 100 billion. Against this, Rs.10 billion will be provided under the plan during the financial year 2018-19.

Development quite obviously takes root in an environment of peace and security. Special development programmes are in hand to enhance security and rebuilding infrastructure to ease out resettlement of temporarily displaced persons (TDPs) at the earliest. These programmes were initiated in 2015-16 and will be continued during next financial year with an adequate allocation of Rs. 105 billion.

Furthermore, the National Highway Authority (NHA) has been asked to undertake projects worth at least Rs. 100 billion throughpublic-privatepartnership,to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of financial resources to some extent.

The writer is a Lahore-based freelance journalist, columnist and retired Deputy Controller (News) Radio Pakistan, Islamabad and can be reached at zahidriffat@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, June 9^th 2018.