K-P to develop PFM reforms strategy to strengthen governance

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government on Tuesday planned to develop Public Financial Management (PFM) reforms strategy to strengthen governance and policy-driven planning in the province.

PFM will also help strengthen fiscal management, resource mobilisation, fiscal decentralisation and reforms roadmap, not only for K-P but also the recently merged districts, read a statement issued by the Sub-National Governance (SNG) programme.

The programme aims at strengthening Pakistan's public financial management and planning systems and assisting the government in raising more revenue.

Moreover, it will help allocate money to improve basic services, particularly for the underprivileged and marginalized segments of society, including minorities, women from rural areas, transgender communities and people with disabilities.

A day earlier, the PFM was tabled in a day-long consultative session arranged by the K-P Finance Department, in collaboration with the key line department and development partners, the statement noted.

K-P Secretary Finance Atif Rehman stressed that the provincial government has always focused on PFM reforms and was increasingly showing its presence in the broader agenda of K-P's reforms strategy.

He stated that the government was designing PFM reforms strategy to roll out its public financial management reforms to positively impact the government functionaries.

SNG Adviser Waqas Paracha informed the meeting that the technical aspects of PFM reforms were well understood and agreed upon by the government and development partners.

"Because of sub-optimal sequencing and flawed coordination with development partners, these reforms were not able to have desired effects. This session is arranged to discuss the challenges the K-P government is facing to perform PFM core functions," he added.

The project team lead, Raheal Siddiqui said the SNG progamme was launched in 2019 and supported K-P, Punjab and local governments in selected districts to improve their governance.

The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Finance Department, Planning and Development, local government, K-P Revenue Authority, Excise and Taxation, K-P Board of Revenue, energy, irrigation, mines, health and education.