Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal convened a high-level meeting for the first quarter review of the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2024-25.
Session Insights This session is part of various equally impressive sessions designed to evaluate the development project implementation performance of different ministries and divisions. During the session, updates from key ministries and divisions under the PSDP projects were presented, including the National Food Security Ministry, the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Division, the National Heritage and Culture Division, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, the Petroleum Division, and SUPARCO.
The federal government allocated Rs. 155 billion under the PSDP framework for the first quarter to ministries and divisions. The minister underlined that without much effective utilization of these funds, the outcome cannot be spotted.
Also Read: Finance Minister Attends Meeting to Discuss Launch of 5G
Timely Completion Ahsan Iqbal insisted that the ongoing project’s timelines for completion and other terms specified in PC-1 should be followed. He instructed for enough allocations to avoid delays because new projects also must be budgeted within their time frames to avoid hurdles in their execution.
Fiscal Prudence and Accountability “Funds will be reallocated from projects with zero expenditures to speed up those under implementation,” the minister stated. “No lapses in project execution are affordable,” he asserted. He considered it imperative that development keeps up speed. He also mentioned prudence in using the finances, indicating that duplication of projects needs to be avoided, given the current state of government finances. “Watertight budgetary allocations will ensure that nothing is wasted. Every penny will, therefore, have maximum impact for national development,” he added.
The meeting is part of an overall initiative to enhance accountability and transparency in the use of PSDP funding. Ministries and divisions will have to explain their expenditures in terms of how projects bring them in line with national priorities. The minister emphasized that these reviews would help determine future allocations and policy changes so that every project benefits Pakistan’s development agenda in terms of economics and the social sphere.