PSDP utilisation highest in six years: Umar

Planning minister says PTI govt committed to speedy completion of projects

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Monday said that during the first eight months of FY-2019-20, the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) witnessed record utilisation of 39 per cent.

“This is the highest recorded utilisation of development budget for the past six years. Earlier, the maximum utilisation of PSDP was witnessed in FY-2014-15, when it touched 32 per cent,” the minister was quoted as saying in a press release issued by the ministry.

He said that the Peshawar-Karachi Motorway Project (Sukkur-Multan section) has been completed “up to 99 per cent”, and this year Rs17.7 billion were spent on the said project. The Faisalabad-Khanewal Road project has witnessed “98% physical progress” and Rs5 billion were allocated for the project, he added.

Highlighting the progress made to ensure water security for the country, Umar said that during the first eight months of the current financial year Rs2.5 billion were spent under the National Programme for Improvement of Watercourses in Pakistan-Phase-II, which translates into a 50 per cent utilisation rate, whereas work on the Mohmand Dam Hydropower project has also been initiated, and Rs2.8 billion have already been spent.

“For the construction of small dams in Khuzdar Rs125 million have been utilised,” he added.

Umar said: “The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government is committed to the speedy and transparent completion of all the ongoing projects, and has been working to ensure diligent monitoring and evaluation, and implementation of all the projects.”

During the current financial year, more than 200 projects are expected to be completed.