Planning Commission stresses efficient resource allocation
Official says Pakistan will miss SDGs if it doesn’t plan properly
Sartaj Aziz. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
Amid billions of rupees being spent on pet projects in the name of improving social indicators, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Sartaj Aziz on Wednesday stressed the need for efficiently utilising resources to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Sartaj Aziz emphasised efficiency in areas of SDGs and said that there was a need to learn from others. He was speaking at the inaugural session of a workshop on SDGs Implementation Challenges and Framework for Advancing 2030 Development Agenda in Pakistan. A team of UNESCAP is visiting Pakistan to help the country build capacity of its officials from the federal and provincial governments to achieve these goals.
Empowering communities key to achieving SDGs: Sartaj
However, the federal government is misusing the SDGs. It has renamed the parliamentarians’ programmes as SDGs Achievement Programme of the Prime Minister and has so far spent Rs94 billion.
This will result in missing the SDG goals after the country’s sheer failure to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
The official highlighted challenges of monitoring as Pakistan has a backlog of MDGs in key areas of social sector. Aziz mentioned the key role of communities, non-government organisations and local administration in meaningful implementation of sustainable development goals.
He explained that Pakistan was fortunate to have Vision 2025 which incorporated this important agenda in to a national framework. Pakistan critically needs to focus on the areas of health, education, poverty and climate change, he added.
The deputy chairman maintained that democratic governance has historically proved more responsive to the fulfillment of demands of the people. Pakistan needs to prioritise the 2030 agenda in the local context. He appreciated that federal SDG Unit in collaboration with provincial SDG Units is developing a national framework and localised goals and targets.
AJK wants more projects from Pakistan
Sartaj Aziz eulogised the role of ESCAP for sending a team of experts to share regional experience with Pakistani officials in implementing SDSGs agenda. Head of the ESCAP delegation Stefanos Foria appreciated Pakistan’s keenness in achieving SDGs agenda and said Pakistan is the first country to have a capacity building workshop.
He said Pakistan has made strides in localizing the SDGs agenda. The workshop has participation from all four provinces, 3 regions and various federal government Ministries.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 9th, 2017.
Amid billions of rupees being spent on pet projects in the name of improving social indicators, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Sartaj Aziz on Wednesday stressed the need for efficiently utilising resources to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Sartaj Aziz emphasised efficiency in areas of SDGs and said that there was a need to learn from others. He was speaking at the inaugural session of a workshop on SDGs Implementation Challenges and Framework for Advancing 2030 Development Agenda in Pakistan. A team of UNESCAP is visiting Pakistan to help the country build capacity of its officials from the federal and provincial governments to achieve these goals.
Empowering communities key to achieving SDGs: Sartaj
However, the federal government is misusing the SDGs. It has renamed the parliamentarians’ programmes as SDGs Achievement Programme of the Prime Minister and has so far spent Rs94 billion.
This will result in missing the SDG goals after the country’s sheer failure to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
The official highlighted challenges of monitoring as Pakistan has a backlog of MDGs in key areas of social sector. Aziz mentioned the key role of communities, non-government organisations and local administration in meaningful implementation of sustainable development goals.
He explained that Pakistan was fortunate to have Vision 2025 which incorporated this important agenda in to a national framework. Pakistan critically needs to focus on the areas of health, education, poverty and climate change, he added.
The deputy chairman maintained that democratic governance has historically proved more responsive to the fulfillment of demands of the people. Pakistan needs to prioritise the 2030 agenda in the local context. He appreciated that federal SDG Unit in collaboration with provincial SDG Units is developing a national framework and localised goals and targets.
AJK wants more projects from Pakistan
Sartaj Aziz eulogised the role of ESCAP for sending a team of experts to share regional experience with Pakistani officials in implementing SDSGs agenda. Head of the ESCAP delegation Stefanos Foria appreciated Pakistan’s keenness in achieving SDGs agenda and said Pakistan is the first country to have a capacity building workshop.
He said Pakistan has made strides in localizing the SDGs agenda. The workshop has participation from all four provinces, 3 regions and various federal government Ministries.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 9th, 2017.