ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Imran Khan has emphasized that joint efforts ofthe federal and the provincial governments are needed to overcome theunprecedented economic crisis that the country is facing.
The Prime Minister said this while chairing meeting of the NationalEconomic Council in Islamabad on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister said that the government has introduced Local Governmentsystems in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to ensure empowerment of thepeople at grass root level and to afford them an opportunity to play theirpart in their developmental process.
He reiterated his call to the provinces to allocate necessary financialresources, as per the commitments made earlier, for the development oferstwhile FATA.
The meeting reviewed Annual Plan 2018-19 and the proposed Annual Plan2019-20. It approved GDP growth target of 4% along with sectorial growth ofagriculture (3.5%) industry (2.2%) and services sector (4.8%) for nextfinancial year.
The NEC meeting reviewed draft 12th Five Year Plan i.e. 2018-23. It wasinformed that main themes of the 12th Five Year Plan include balanced andequitable regional development; sustainable, inclusive, job-creatingexport-led growth; resource mobilization and improving governance;improving social protection; ensuring food and water security, enhancingconnectivity, promoting knowledge economy and Clean and Green Pakistan.
The NEC approved 12th Five Year Plan (2018-23), in principle. It wasdecided that the plan will be further fine-tuned, especially itsimplementation mechanism, in consultation with all stakeholders.
The meeting reviewed Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2018-19 andthe proposed PSDP 2019-20.
The meeting was informed that PSDP 2019-20 focuses on new initiatives inthe field of agriculture, information technology, higher education, science& technology and technical education and training.
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It was apprised that targeted interventions will be made in the lessdeveloped districts of the country to bring them at par with other parts ofthe country for regional equalization. Ten billion Tsunami Program, PrimeMinister’s Youth Skill Development Initiative, rehabilitation of affectedpopulation residing along Line of Control, construction ofGilgit-Shandur-Chitral Road and improvement of sewerage and sanitationsystem of Gilgit, and development of merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwaare some of the major priority areas of Public Sector Development Programme(PSDP) 2019-20.
The meeting approved National Development Outlay 2019-20 amounting to 1.837trillion rupees including Federal PSDP and Provincial Annual DevelopmentProgrammes.
Progress Report of CDWP and ECNEC from 1st April last year to 31st Marchthis year was laid before the National Economic Council.
The NEC confirmed extension in powers of Special Forum for Rehabilitationand Reconstruction in erstwhile FATA till December this year. The SpecialForum, under the Chairmanship of Commander 11 Corps, was established by theNEC in 2016 for a period of two years for fast track implementationmechanism for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in erstwhile FATA.
The meeting approved establishment of Islamabad Development Working Partyheaded by the Chief Commissioner ICT including representatives fromMinistries of Finance, Planning and other concerned offices. The IDWP willbe allowed to approve development project up to 60 million rupees.
The NEC also approved procedure for approval of Program for Results,Development Policy Credits and Financial Intermediation Programs.
