Sustainable growth: Punjab govt urged to implement zero hunger policy

ISLAMABAD:

In an open letter to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) has recommended several improvements in the draft ‘Punjab Growth Strategy’.

The letter, written by SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, has called for increasing the quantity and quality of vocational and skills training programmes. Further, it stated that investment in agriculture extension and farm sector will help improve the food security situation in Punjab.

It was also recommended to focus on the implementation of crop and livestock insurance programme, exemption from GST for agricultural inputs used by farmers, and implementation of zero hunger programme.

In order to make housing affordable and environment-friendly, and to make the best use of available land, the letter proposed that the growth strategy should focus on amending building regulations, introducing building codes for energy conservation and disaster-prone construction, vertical construction, and slashing downwards provincial GST on related services.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2015.