Government is well poised to establish Human Resource Development Board at a cost of dollars 600 million with an objective to enhance skilled youth for the socio-economic prosperity of the country. "We want to establish a Board comprising members from both public and private sectors for the promotion of skill development in the country", he revealed in an exclusive interview with APP here on Thursday.
Sardar Assef Ahmad Ali said that initially 127 technical centres would be set up at district level across the country and in first phase, youth would be imparted technical and skill development training through 2000 new centres. Those who would complete the training, would also be given employment.
The Deputy Chairman Planning Commission said that 250,000 youth would be equipped with technical training in a gradual fashion, which he said would unleash an economic revolution in the country. Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali said that these trained people would also be sent abroad for jobs in various countries, who would in return help build country's foreign exchange reserves upto US $30 to 35 billion by repatriating remittances.
"When we will receive such a huge foreign remittances from trained Pakistani diaspora there will be no need of going for aid and financial assistance to the IMF, any other donor agency or country." he remarked. The Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, said that through such training to "our youth we want to develop a knowledge-based economy". He said that Planning Commission is the organisation committed to the development of the entire country and its people without any discrimination.
"We are enjoying good relations with all the four provinces, Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas and initiating projects there for the welfare of the people", he remarked. He added that Planning Commission is also enjoying working relationship with all the ministries and attached departments in the development of their proposed projects and they are also co-operating with us. "We want to take all stakeholders along for the socio economic prosperity of the country", he remarked.
Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali said that planning commission is trying its level best to reduce waste expenditures and in this regard with the permission of the Prime Minister, a member for "Good governance" has been inducted in the commission. He disclosed that government would increase allocations in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2009-10 keeping in view the available resources.
He added that government wanted to complete those on-going development projects on which 30-40 percent work has been done. Deputy Chairman Planning Commission said that this year work on Diamer-Basha dam would be started in order to give impetus to the development of the country after its completion. He added that more development funds would be utilised if higher revenue is collected by the Federal Board of Revenuer (FBR).
Highlighting the Friends of Pakistan meeting held in Tokyo (Japan) recently, he said that Pakistan was able to get US $5.28 billion pledges and all of them were in the form of grants. He added that the participants of the FoP have highly appreciated the development programme presented by Pakistan in the forum under the leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari.
He added that the presentations for the forum were prepared by Planning Commission in collaboration with Ministry of Finance. Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali said that government would utilise the funds judiciously and specially for the human resource infrastructure development projects, poverty reduction areas. He said that 32 new dams would be constructed across the country while 8-9 dams would also be built in all four provinces and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, development work would also be started at Chasma-II nuclear power project.
The Deputy Chairman Planning Commission strongly criticised the economic policies of former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and said that during the period the money was utilised on non-development projects and Pakistani society was converted into a consumer and import driven society instead of export and growth led society.
He however, acknowledged the vision 2030 adding that it was a good document and the government has adopted it and bring further improvement in it for the welfare of the people. He added that all members of the Planning Commission have been directed to undertake field visits to get first hand knowledge and progress of the project in all the four provinces.
"I myself is also visiting the field to see the progress of the project in the country", he remarked. To a question, he said that due to prudent economic polices of the government the inflation has been halted but not reversed while steps are being taken to reverse it.
He said the government has launched Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) for the provision of safety net to the poor segment of the society. Sardar Assef Ahmaed Ali said that the government would develop water and agriculture sectors for the benefit of the country. He added that the government is also encouraging Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the execution of these projects.