In a seminar held at a local hotel on “Development in Punjab: Setting new priorities in Agriculture and Industry”, Punjab Chairman Planning & Development Habib ur Rehman Gillani emphasized on the government’s top development priority of Human Development. ‘While infrastructure development complements growth and development, human development is key to prosperous Punjab. The disproportionate spending on infrastructure in the past has compromised the allocation to the social sector which has adversely impacted the lives of millions of people in the province, Chairman P&D pointed out.
“The top priority of the government at the moment is to rationalize spending and have an equitable development model. We are launching our growth strategy that is going to address all these issues and help us move toward a growth model that is equitable and inclusive,” said Gillani. “Apart from that we are also putting special emphasis on youth development and will explore all avenues, including the opportunities that CPEC offers for public-private partnerships and employment generation“, he further added. Provincial Secretary Finance Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh pointed out on the need for finance and planning to work in tandem and the importance of strategic planning for effective planning and budget utilization.
Minister Finance Punjab, Makhdum Hashim Jawan Bakth, who chaired a session on Working with Donors-Program Design and Development talked about the importance of having properly planned and executed projects so we can go out of the current situation where there is aid but no development. He also emphasized on the need to use technology to help in monitoring and evaluation of projects and restructuring to solve the institutional problems of government organizations to work better. The seminar was organized by International Growth Centre in partnership with Planning & Development Board and Finance Department Punjab disseminated research conducted by academics and practitioners on agriculture, skills development, auto industry, CPEC and SMEs as drivers for growth.