LAHORE: The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) of Lahore is in the process of adopting an ambitious business model for the organization to make it self-sustainable and reduce its dependency on public funding, said a senior officer on Sunday.

According to the details, PHA has taken several measures in recent months, including the establishment of the provincial metropolis’ largest government owned commercial nursery. This facility, covering over nine acres, accommodates a wide variety of seedlings, saplings, trees, shrubs, and other plant materials.

Through this initiative, the authority aims to reduce horticulture procurement expenses, which constitute a substantial portion of its budget.

Separately, PHA, following the directives of Director General Muhammad Tahir Wattoo, is developing a proposal for large scale commercial olive cultivation at a 250 acre fruit garden near the airport. The sunny weather of Lahore makes it suitable for edible olive farming, which requires a warm and temperate environment.

He emphasized that such a move would be a wise investment for PHA in terms of wealth generation and contributing to food security by reducing foreign exchange expenditure on imported edible oil.

In addition to this, the organization is also in the process of establishing units to internally produce flower pots and repair transformers to cut development and maintenance costs. These decisions were made during a recent meeting convened to review various proposals aimed at boosting PHA’s revenues.

Wattoo was also informed that internal revenue generation through outdoor advertisements, food court operations, and parking agreements has substantially increased. The meeting also discussed measures to increase Lahore’s green cover by planting trees and installing flower beds along the canal.

PHA’s trademark annual exhibition of Chrysanthemum, known as Gul-i-Dawoodi, at Jilani Park, was also discussed concluded the spokesperson.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023