ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday assured Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) – a key ruling coalition partner – that Sindh’s reservations over the budget 2023-24 in connection with funds for rehabilitation of 2022 flood victims would be addressed without any delay.
Speaking in the National Assembly while responding to a point raised by Nafisa Shah of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), he said that a comprehensive roadmap to carry out reconstruction and rehabilitation work in 2022 flood-affected areas had almost been okayed.
“Immediate relief work has already been done throughout the country with the disbursement of Rs25,000 per family through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) programme. Almost Rs100 billion have already been spent in addition to assistance extended by the NDMA [National Disaster Management Authority],” he added.
Reconstruction of flood-hit areas: Country to get $4bn from $9bn pledged at Geneva moot: officials
He said that the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet had recently approved Rs12 billion to replenish the stock of NDMA, keeping in view the predicted threats of the monsoon and the cyclone.
Following the widespread destruction caused by heavy rains and floods, Dar said that a comprehensive report had been prepared in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank (WB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European Union, and the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives which suggested economic and physical losses stood at around $30.3 billion.
He said that funds amounting to $16.3 billion were required to execute the physical work like repair of damaged houses and infrastructure, under the “4RF” strategy, ie, resilient, recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction In the General Donors Conference, he said that less than $400 million were received while pledges were made for bearing 50 per cent financing for the reconstruction and rehabilitation work.
He said that a committee, comprising Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and federal ministers including Khursheed Shah, Naveed Qamar, and Sherry Rehman, was holding meetings and a roadmap in this regard had almost been prepared.
“The reconstruction and rehabilitation will be like a 4-5-year medium-term development plan. It is not an issue and will be resolved as there are no two opinions. Roughly $11 billion, of $16.3 billion will be spent in Sindh under 4RF policy,” he added.
He assured the house that everything is under planning as work is going on it, and there was nothing to worry about, adding the work is in progress and hopefully it will be concluded today.
He said that all things included in the Charter of Democracy (CoD) had been implemented except the constitutional code and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. During 2013-18, Dar said that he had constantly been advocating and offering for devising a Charter of Economy (COE) so that whosoever came into power followed it in the supreme national interest.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif called for firm action against those involved in sending people abroad illegally, which resulted in the death of Pakistani migrants in a boat incident near the coast of Greece.
He said that the government and the opposition parties should work collectively to initiate stern action against these human traffickers and this illegal movement must stop. He said some people have been arrested in the country, but their nexus also exists in other countries as well. The National Assembly Speaker, Raja Pervez Ashraf, said the government must take action against the human traffickers and stressed that the people should also be educated about the hazards of illegal immigration.
The House also continued discussion on the budget for the year 2023-24.
Taking part in the debate, Shahnaz Salim said that a reduction in the prices of petroleum products has provided relief to the people.
Nafisa Shah said that political stability is a must to ensure economic stability in the country. She emphasized a charter of economy to steer the country in the right direction.
As regards the budget, she said it envisages incentives for the SMEs and the IT sector while a raise in salaries has been given to the employees. Asiya Azeem emphasized enhancing the budgetary allocations for the education sector, saying it is important to take the country forward on the path of development.
Hashim Notezai said that the development schemes of Balochistan province have been ignored in the budget. He said the ongoing schemes in the province must be completed on a fast track basis.
Waheed Alam, Qadir Mandokhel, Tahira Bukhari, Afzal Khan Dhandla, Samina Matloob, and others also took part in the debate on the budget. Earlier, at the outset, the House offered Fateha for the departed souls of Pakistani migrants who died in a boat incident near the coast of Greece as well as those who died in other accidents in the country. Speaking on a point of order, Mohsin Dawar, MNA from North Waziristan District and part of the ruling coalition, demanded a “comprehensive inquiry” into the “abduction” of fellow MNA Ali Wazir, who he said was arrested by authorities in North Waziristan on Monday and taken to an “undisclosed location”.
“Ali Wazir was arrested near a checkpost in North Waziristan and there is no clue regarding his whereabouts”, he added.
Dawar requested the speaker to initiate a probe into Wazir’s arrest and determine his whereabouts, saying there is a law which required the NA speaker’s approval prior to arresting a lawmaker.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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