LAHORE: Planning and Development Board Chairman Iftikhar Ali Sahoo emphasized the crucial role played by the board in shaping the economic trajectory of the province. He underscored its involvement in crafting plans and policies for economic development, overseeing province-wide coordination, and monitoring initiatives and growth plans at the provincial level.

During a signing ceremony for the Frameworks of Cooperation (FWC) between the Planning & Development Board and several prominent universities in the city, including Lahore University of Management Science (LUMS), Lahore School of Economics (LSE), Punjab University (PU), and Government College University (GCU), held at the AKS auditorium in Lahore under the theme “Creating Knowledge Network,” Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman served as the chief guest.

Sahoo expressed gratitude to Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman and all participants, including VC LUMS Dr. Tariq M. Jadoon, Rector LSE Dr. Shahid Amjad Ch, VC GCU Dr. Ahmad Adnan, and VC PU Dr. Khalid Mahmood, for their presence.

Highlighting the objectives, Iftikhar Sahoo stated that the Framework of Co-operation would play a pivotal role in facilitating evidence-based policy formulation with the support of research-backed insights. He expressed optimism about fostering mutual understanding for the development of a robust policy framework.

The Frameworks of Cooperation aims to establish enduring partnerships between the Planning & Development Board, Government of Punjab, and the aforementioned universities, fostering collaboration and research linkages in areas such as public policy, sustainable and inclusive economic development, and economic policy & management.

The VC LUMS commended the initiative of the P&D Board in promoting research in policy management. The Rector LSE expressed eagerness to collaborate with the government of Punjab, pledging to facilitate research that contributes to evidence-based policy formulation.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023