Full financial autonomy for South Punjab likely

Initiative to be of great importance for the region

MULTAN:

South Punjab secretariat is likely to achieve complete financial autonomy to ensure matchless development in the region.

The Additional Chief Secretary, Capt (Retd.) Saqib Zafar, said at a meeting, which was attended by secretaries of different departments, that South Punjab Secretariat was moving towards another milestone.

“Significant progress has been made to give financial autonomy to the South Punjab Secretariat," he said.

Preparations are being made to give full financial control of the budget to the South Punjab Secretariat.

With the acquisition of financial autonomy, the power to issue non-development funds to the subsidiaries would be transferred from Lahore to South Punjab.

The additional chief secretary directed the secretaries to complete their homework.

"All secretaries should complete verification of funds and cost centers of subordinate departments by March 25," instructed Captain (Retd.) Saqib Zafar.

South Punjab Finance Department would hand over all records to the Lahore Finance Department for mapping soon.

"Until now, the secretaries of South Punjab had the authority to spend on non-developmental expenses of their offices only,” Saqib Zafar stated.

He said that after getting financial autonomy, each department would have the power to issue funds to its subsidiaries.

Health and Education departments would be able to release funds to district authorities concerned.

Similarly, housing, livestock, forest and all other departments would release funds to their subordinate offices, Capt. (Retd.) Saqib Zafar said and also added that financial control of Lahore finance department would end when South Punjab obtained financial autonomy.

The initiative would be of great importance for the region. Powers of administrative secretaries would improve further.

Apart from this, it would also refine process of financial management.

The additional chief secretary said that the South Punjab Secretariat was moving towards the goal of complete autonomy with each passing day.

Earlier, the Additional Secretary of Finance of South Punjab, Zahid Ikram, briefed the meeting about different financial affairs.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2022.