Focus on job creation

It has come soon after the announcement by the government of the economy having been stabilised. Prime Minister Imran Khan had said a few days earlier that now the government would be more focused on job creation. At a meeting on Nov 13, he expressed concern over the under-utilisation of funds allocated under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) and emphasised the need for optimal and timely utilisation of those funds. He said this was necessary because PSDP aimed at development with job creation.

The prime minister has taken notice of the under-utilisation of PSDP funds by various ministries and departments and has instructed the Planning Commission to come up with a monthly performance review report so as to identify the reasons behind under-utilisation of funds allocated for vital components of the PSDP. He stressed that timely execution of all the projects was necessary to keep the wheel of the economy moving. It was of utmost importance to eliminate delays in the execution of projects under the PSDP. An amount of Rs71 billion has been allocated under the PSDP for the fiscal year 2019-20. Officials informed the meeting held to review the progress on PSDP schemes that utmost efforts were being made to eliminate delays in authorisation by the Planning Commission to ensure smooth implementation and timely completion of the approved projects. The meeting was briefed on a detailed report prepared to assess the utilisation of the first quarter releases by various ministries and divisions. During the current fiscal year, a total of 17 projects will be completed out which 38 are mega projects. A special monitoring and evaluation set-up is being established at the Planning Commission to ensure completion of all the projects within the timelines. At the meeting, the prime minister repeatedly said orderly completion of the projects would help counter unemployment.

We would like to emphasise that development should not be centred only on those in power. All areas should be treated with justice and equity.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2019.

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