Punjab Finance Minister Sardar Hasnain Dreshek has said that over 3 million new jobs have been created during the last five years and the unemployment rate in the province has fallen from 8.51 percent in year 2001-02 to 5.26 percent in year 2005-06, the figure for female unemployment are even more encouraging.
He expressed these views while talking to the delegations of local and foreign investors here on Wednesday, disclosed an official. The minister said that the literacy rate in 2006-07 is estimated to increase to 62 percent as compared to 47 percent in 2001-02.
He averred that during the same period the percentage of population utilising tap water in houses has improved by more than 12 percent. "The efforts of the government to create conducive environment for development of the private sector has shown positive results and Punjab is now considered an attractive place for business," he added.
According to him, Punjab has achieved a sharp reduction in poverty and decline in poverty was noted about 11 percent in last five years and the government is expecting poverty to come down to 16 percent by the year 2009-10, and hopefully it would decline to a single digit by 2015. Domestic and international partners have acknowledged our commitment in social sector reforms.
Sardar Hasnain Dreshek said that primary education reforms had helped increase enrolment and control the drop out ratio. He maintained that the government was extending these reforms to higher education and developing partnership with NGOs and private sector to increase the coverage.
He said that the government had taken initiatives to maximise health coverage and has involved private sector and international development partners to improve healthcare services provision. "Improving water supply and sanitation situation is on our priority list and the government would encourage community involvement in these sectors.
We would introduce revolutionary agricultural marketing regime and also develop a strategic framework for urban infrastructure development backed by provision of state-of-the-art municipal infrastructure and modern mass transit system," he added.
The minister stated that the Punjab government had managed to put the economy on the path of speedy growth and GDP of the province was growing at the rate of over 7 percent. This growth is being translated into creation of employment opportunities, growth of economy and increasing business activity in the province, he added.
Comments
Comments are closed.