Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Planning, Development and Reforms Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said that the government would allocate Rs 800 billion for the federal and Rs 875 billion for the provincial governments, under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the year 2016-17.

Talking to the media after chairing a meeting of Annual Planning Coordination Committee (APCC) in the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms on Saturday, he said that in the upcoming budget, Rs 21 billion would be allocated for Higher Education Commission (HEC), Rs 27 billion for atomic energy, Rs 9.7 billion for Interior Ministry, Rs 100 billion for temporary displaced people (TDP), Rs 190 billion for National Highway Authority (NHA), Rs 41 billion for water and power sector, Rs 31 billion for WAPDA, Rs 21 billion for the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), Rs 40 billion for Pakistan Railways, Rs 12 billion for port and shipping and Rs 25 billion for national health.

The minister informed that the government was committed to increase the economic growth from existing 4.7 % to 5.7 % in the forthcoming budget. “We require growth in industrial and agriculture sectors and want increase in capacity of energy sector to achieve the target of economic growth of 5.7%,” he added.

Iqbal said that under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), different energy projects would be completed including the hydel, coal-based and energy projects through gas pipelines. He added that after self-sufficiency in energy, the country would achieve its goals of industrial growth and objective of economic growth of 5.7 % in coming fiscal years.

He said that Dasu, Diamir-Bhasha Dam projects were among top priorities of the government, completion of which would curb the current energy crisis, helping the overall economy of the country.

The minister said that infrastructural development was must for the connectivity and no development would be possible without proper infrastructure. Iqbal said that all infrastructural projects including roads and railways would be completed on priority basis, adding that railways infrastructure would also be upgraded to facilitate the people.

He said that in the coming three years, university campuses would be established in each and every district of the country. The minister said that to provide connectivity, Gwadar Port would be linked with other parts of the country, while the road projects of Gwadar, Khuzdar and D I Khan and Bhuran would be completed on priority basis.

He added that Karachi-Peshawar Motorway, Indus Highway, including Kohat-Banu road links would also be upgraded and completed in the coming year. Iqbal said that in current years, priority was given to CPEC projects, which must be completed on war footings. He said, “The development budget would have to be enhanced to make the country of 200 million people a ‘knowledge economy’. The minister opined that there was a need to enhance volume of development budget.