Planning Ministry declares census as a feather in its cap

Issues 29-page report highlighting its achievements

ISLAMABAD:

The Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiative has described holding the 7th population census as its landmark achievement in a performance report that was issued on Sunday.

The Council of Common Interest (CCI) on August 5 unanimously approved the results of the 7th population and housing census that was carried out by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS),  an attached department of the Ministry of Planning.

The 2023 census was also the first ever digital census to be held in Pakistan or South Asia.

It was initially held from March 1, 2023 to April 1, 2023. However, enumeration was later extended several times until May 30 because of incomplete enumeration in large cities such as Karachi, Lahore, and Faisalabad.

According to the census, the population of Pakistan has reached 241.49 million with a growth rate of 2.55%. “The digital censuses were a landmark achievement of the ministry. This was the first time in the country’s history that the CCI approved the results of the digital census,” the report said.

The 29-page report said the Planning Commission managed to hold 33 meetings of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) and 12 meetings of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) between April 19, 2022 to August 9, 2023.

A large number of development projects and schemes of strategic significance were considered and approved during this period.

It said special attention was given to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) as the Planning Ministry increased the PSDP from Rs500 billion to Rs1,150 billion for 2023-2024, overcoming financial limitations while ensuring transparency through the PSDP portal.

The report said that CDWP-approved projects showed the sensitization of priorities to carry out national development schemes.  After the infrastructural projects, it laid emphasis on projects of human resources development.

The Planning Ministry placed special emphasis on youth empowerment and inclusive development, it said, adding that this section includes several strategic initiatives undertaken by the ministry as part of the PM’s Youth Development Programme.

The report said the National Top Talent Scholarship Programme would provide the Pakistani students an opportunity to pursue masters and PhD degrees at the top 25 universities of the world. Under the programme, the ministry allocated Rs4.7 billion.

The establishment of Centres of Excellence on Emerging Technologies, the National Centre for Nano-Technology, the National Centre for Quantum Computing and the National Institute of New Manufacturing was a great success of the Planning Ministry.

“Furthermore, the establishment of the National Growth Centre would help in increasing the country’s growth,” it added.