Poverty index: Provinces to make plans accordingly

Ahsan Iqbal said the report was the outcome of efforts spanning over more than one year

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday sent copies of the recently launched Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) to the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Benazir Income Support Programme besides others for review and making their plans accordingly. “I am pleased to share a copy of the MPI launched by the Planning Commission on June 20, 2016,” Iqbal stated in a letter. “An inclusive and balanced growth is a critical goal of the Vision 2025. Poverty is a major threat to development and in order to eradicate poverty, it is important to understand it correctly.” The report was the outcome of efforts spanning over more than one year, he said, adding the MPI should not be mixed with the consumption-based poverty reading, which measured outcome-based poverty and not opportunity.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2016.

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