Punjab Planning and Development Board Chairman Salman Ghani has disclosed that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate was expected to be around 7 percent in the FY 2005-06.
While addressing a press conference held to brief the newsmen on the forthcoming Punjab Development Forum (PDF) 2006 here on Wednesday, Salman said the figures would be included in the Punjab Economic Report 2006. He added the Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi would make the report public on the Punjab Budget day.
"Unfortunately this year we could not present the report in the PDF because it was still in the preparation stage," he added.
According to him, for rural areas, in particular of southern Punjab, they were investing in education and health, and building infrastructure so that on farm jobs could be created. The government has also invested Rs 11 billion in irrigation to facilitate the farmers.
He admitted that development fund and non-development funds ratio was not at a reasonable level that stood at 25:75, however they were planning to change the ratio to 40:60 by 2008. He said the government thrust would now be on urban development, and in that connection an urban desk had been established in the P&D office. He revealed that government was also planning to conduct a service sector survey for the first time.
On PDF, he said that third Punjab Development Forum 2006 was scheduled for May 5 and 6 at the Chief Minister's Secretariat. He further said the main objective of the Forum was to provide an opportunity to policy makers, stakeholders from international development partners in Pakistan, representatives of business community, academia and members of the civil society, amongst others, to engage in wide ranging dialogue and discussion on the development priorities of the Punjab government.
It also aims to help the provincial government in evolving more participatory development strategy for the medium term.
According to him, the Punjab Chief Minister would inaugurate the Forum on Friday (May 5) while Punjab Governor Lieutenant General Khalid Maqbool (Retd) would preside over the closing session. Prominent among invited are State Minister for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, Advisor to PM on Finance Dr Salman Shah, State Bank of Pakistan Governor Shamshad Akhtar, National Commission of Governance Reforms Chairman Dr Ishrat Hussain, Robert L Floyd Country Programme Co-ordinator World Bank (Pakistan and Bangladesh), John Wall head of the World Bank Mission in Pakistan, Peter Fedon Country Director Asian Development Bank, Yousuf Samiullah of DfID and head of other donor agencies in Pakistan.
"Moreover, a large number of invitee from academia, private sector and the civil society are expected to attend in addition to policy makers and representatives of government. Each of the five technical sessions would be chaired by the leading experts," he added.
For the first time a panel discussion of leading NGO's and members of civil society on 'Role of Government on Pro-poor Development' has also been scheduled in PDF. He also said that in the Forum exclusive session (Technical Session-I) for international development partners had been planned wherein focused discussions would be held on development priorities of the province.
Representatives of Asian Development Bank, World Bank and DfID would make presentations to share the views of international development partners. Special invitations have been issued to leading industrialists and investors in Punjab to encourage private sector investment in the province.
On the occasion, the Chairman presented two reports, 'District Wise Socio-Economic Indicators Coverage and MDGs (MICS 2003-04) and Poverty Focused Investment Strategy for the Punjab', which would also be tabled in the PDF in addition to Punjab Planning Manual for the local governments that serves as a guide on local governance.
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