National News

Ahsan Iqbal said, under the directives of the Prime
Minister, the government would give special attention on the
agriculture sector and provide relief to farmers in the agri
inputs in order to reduce their cost of production to boost
agriculture production and save them from the international
commodities prices crash.
The Minister further said, government in the budget
would also take steps for revival of the industrial sector in
order to boost exports for the benefit of the country.
The Minister informed that in the year 2017-18 , 10,000
MW electricity would be added in the national grid.
The Minister said, in government would also give to
priority to three sectors of energy, infrastructure and human
resources development.
He added that universities funding would be enhanced
from Rs.20 billion to Rs.24 billion during the financial year
2016-17 while the funding for Higher Education Commission
(HEC) would also increased from Rs.20 billion to Rs.21 billion
bedsides establishing universities at FATA, Balochistan and
Gilgit Baltistan.
He also informed that every district campuses of
universities would be established in order to provided higher
education to the youth of the country at their door steps.
He added that in next ten year the number of PHds would
be increased from 350 in 2010 to 10,000 under US-Pak Knowledge
Corridor in the country.
Highlighting the Public Sector Development Programme
(PSDP) 2016-17, the Minister said, Rs.655 billion have
been allocated as compared to Rs.580 billion earmarked in the
outgoing financial year 2015-16.
Ahsan Iqbal said, the Government had earmarked Rs.1,675
billion in the forthcoming budget for the development schemes
under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the
year 2016-17.
“Out of the total allocation, Rs.875 have been earmarked
for the provinces,” he said.
Giving the details, he said, Rs. 468 billion were
allocated for infrastructure including Rs.157 billion for
power, Rs.260 billion for transport and communications, Rs. 33
billion for water, Rs.18 billion for Physical Planning and
Housing.
Out Rs.89 billion allocated for social sector, Rs.29
billion were earmarked for Education including Higher
Education Commission (HEC), Rs.30 billion for Health and
Population, Rs.20 billion for Sustainable Development Goals
Program and Rs.10 billion for other Social sectors, he added.
The Minister said, Rs.9 billion were allocated for
Science and IT, Rs. 8 billion for Governance, Rs.42 billion
for Special Areas including AJK, FATA and Gilgit-Baltistan
respectively.
He said, out of Rs.4 billion for Production, Rs. 2
billion each were earmarked for industries and Food and
Agriculture sectors.
He said, Rs.28 billion were earmarked for special
federal development program under PSDP.
The Minister said, development projects worth US$ 30
billion out of US$ 46 billion to be initiated under
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework across
the country, had become live.
“The financing of these projects either completed or in
the process of completion,” he said.
He said, it was unprecedented that a piece of paper –
Memorandum of Understanding – was converted into portfolio of
US$ 46 billion within short span of time.
Terming CPEC a unique gift for the people of Pakistan,
he said, different early harvest energy projects were being
completed to meet electricity shortage and informed that
mining at Thar Coal site had been started.
He said, the electricity generation would start from
Thar coal in 2018-19, adding, “Thar coal deposit would be
sufficient for next 400 years if 5,000 MW per annum
electricity is generated from Thar coal.”
Ahsan Iqbal said, the Pak-China leadership and people
of both the brotherly countries had complete faith in this
project and they had expressed unflinching resolve to complete
CPEC within stipulated time.