All in agreement: Govt to sweeten terms for doctors, industrialists

Takes vital steps to boost health, business sectors in K-P

PESHAWAR:

The K-P government has taken a vital step towards what it calls the prioritisation of the health sector by announcing a hefty increase in incentives to attract doctors to rural areas. It also approved its new industrial policy by announcing alluring incentives to attract industrialists to the militancy-hit province.

The provincial cabinet approved the new industrial policy and incentive package for the doctors in its meeting on Thursday.

This was announced by Minister for Education Atif Khan and Minister for Health Shahram Khan Tarakai at a press briefing in the cabinet. The ministers also approved the K-P Antiquities Act 2015 which would govern archaeological affairs and museum related business after the 18th Constitutional Amendment.



It also approved an extension on the lease period of the Olympic Shopping Plaza in Peshawar from 16 years to 33 years.

Doctor’s package

“The aim of the incentive package is to attract doctors to rural areas of the province so that people can have better health facilities,” Tarakai said.

He added the districts had been divided into the A, B and C categories on basis of their development. Peshawar and Abbottabad, the developed cities and top preferences of doctors for postings, have been placed in the A category. Meanwhile, districts like Nowshera, Swat, Kohat, Mardan, Charsadda, DI Khan, Dir Lower, Haripur, Mansehra, Malakand and Swabi were placed in Category B. Finally, Karak, Buner, Battagram, Chitral, Upper Dir, Hangu, Tank, Kohistan, Lakki Marwat, Shangla and Torghar were put in the C category.

Tarakai shared details of the incentives and said that health professional allowance, which was between Rs10,000 and Rs15,000 had been increased separately for the three categories. For specialists in “less desirable specialties” such as anesthesia and radiology, the allowance is now Rs80,000 in Category A, Rs100,000 in Category B and those on Category C would get Rs140,000.

Similarly, the allowance was increased to Rs60,000 for A, Rs80,000 for B and Rs100,000 for Category C in the more desirable specialties.

The government increased the medical officers and dental surgeons’ allowance to attract them to rural areas, said the minister.

“More incentives have been given in the rural areas compared to urban centres,” the health minister said.

According to Tarakai, these incentives would consume an additional Rs3.13 billion from the government kitty.

“The medical teaching hospitals (MTIs) are not yet included, but will be once their boards of directors approved the package,” the health minister said. He added the package also aimed to decrease the load on MTIs which are mostly preferred.

The minister also warned of intensifying the monitoring system at hospitals. “We are increasing the incentives, but will increase the monitoring system and give strict punishments to anyone not doing their job.”

Industrial policy

Speaking about the change in industrial policy, Atif said the aim of the policy is to attract industrialists to set up labour consuming industrial units in the city. “Never in history has such a comprehensive, detailed and incentive-providing industrial policy been made in the province or in the country,” he claimed. He added industrial zones and estates would be established to meet infrastructural requirements.

Sharing details of the subsidy from the provincial administration, Atif said the K-P government would pay 5% of the banks’ total mark-up on loans for industrialists who set up entities in K-P. “The banks provided loans on mark-up from seven to 10% and the government would pay 5% of the total mark-up. This incentive is not provided anywhere in the country.”

Atif further stated that the government would provide 25% discount on the acquisition of land for two years to industrialists. Meanwhile, those bringing a new type of industry to the province would be provided 25% discount on the transportation of machinery and material for three years.

To attract women entrepreneurs, the government would invest Rs3 million in the industrial unit being set by her.

Atif said they discussed the policy with industrialists in the country and most seemed eager to come to K-P to start their units. “The new industrial policy would be a game changer if the province succeeds in implementing and operating it,” he claimed.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th,  2015.