‘Strong institutions create good governance’

Governor says poverty alleviation key to country’s development

Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar said good governance, with strong institutions and accountability, would trickle down to the masses, especially the poor.

He expressed these views while addressing a certificate-awarding ceremony among participants of the 109th National Management Course and 24th Senior Management Course held at National School of Public Policy on Friday. He said it was important to improve governance and build institutions for poverty alleviation and development of the country.

The governor said the state was responsible for creating a conducive political, legal and economic environment to enhance the capabilities of individuals. "We should always keep in mind that people are at the heart of public policy and their welfare should be our goal. It is for this that we all will be judged," he remarked. “The country needs the dedication and commitment of civil servants at the federal and provincial levels.”

"It is imperative that we improve service delivery to the people and achieve the expected level of performance," he said. He added that civil services must now rise to meet the challenges.

"The government has provided the direction and policy framework and the civil service should execute and deliver better services to the people of Pakistan," he added.

“Pakistan is a country with immense opportunities, ranging from natural resources to its demography. However, it is currently facing multiple challenges on both the social and economic fronts, while terrorism and extremism are the central concerns of the nation,” Sarwar said.

The governor said that Pakistan has the capacity to become a great and prosperous country. "We are a nation of over 200 million people whose capabilities are second to none," he added. The governor shared the information that about 22 million children were not going to schools and they were working in workshops or other workplaces.

"We will bring them to schools so that they could acquire the education and become useful citizens," he vowed.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2018.