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LAHORE - Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced Punjab Growth Strategy 2018 Saturday and vowed to achieve the target of 8 percent increase in development growth within four years.
“The volume of economy of the province will be enhanced and 4 million quality job opportunities will be created while 2 million youth will be imparted training of various skills according to market needs, the CM said, adding that 15 percent increase will be made in the exports of Punjab every year whereas target of $17.5 billion investment by private sector has been fixed.
Federal Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Economic Affairs Adviser Dr Ijaz Nabi, representatives of Unicef, DFID and other donor agencies also addressed the function. Planning and Development Chairman Irfan Elahi threw light on various features of Punjab Growth Strategy 2018.
Shahbaz said the Planning and Development Department in consultation with economic experts evolved the ‘best’ development strategy. The Chief Minister said the government will also equip every child with education to achieve the target. He said that economic experts should extend cooperation in formulating such a policy which has the guidance about the development of youth. Shahbaz said that planning will be meaningless without providing job opportunities and empowering the youth.
“We have to meet this challenge collectively and if we will succeed in changing this challenge into opportunity. The Punjab government has taken effective steps in this regard and thousands of girls and boys have been made skillful under skill development programme with the help of DFID. ”The Chief Minister said that reforms of revolutionary nature are also being introduced in education and health sectors.
He took a swipe at the previous federal movements for flawed water projects. However, he pledged to provide potable water to the public. The PML-N government has started Saaf Pani Project for providing potable water to the people of the province for which a survey has been carried out. He said the demands of democracy cannot be fulfilled without providing indiscriminate social justice, education, health, jobs and other basic facilities to the common persons.
He said that Punjab government is successfully forwarding the mission of service to the masses and provision of quality facilities to them. He said that we are thankful to China which has helped us in this hour of trial and given historic economic package of $46 billion for the development of Pakistan, out of which, more than $30 billion are for energy sector. He said that Pakistan is a green basket for Middle East but we could not benefit from it and lack of planning is its basic reason. He said that untimely sit-ins and protest politics stopped development journey and created unnecessary delay in development projects.
Addressing the function, Federal Minister for Planning & Development Ahsan Iqbal said Punjab government has formulated growth strategy on time and if other provinces will also take steps towards this direction, federal government fully support as we believe in national solidarity and strengthening of federation. He said that Punjab Growth Strategy 2018 is harmonized with the Vision 2025. He said, no doubt,
Punjab government has constructed minarets of development in the province and set glorious example by completing development projects with speed, high quality and in a transparent manner. He expressed the hope that Punjab government will certainly succeed in achieving the goals of development strategy 2018.
Representatives of DFID, UNICEF and other donor agencies addressing the function lauded the efforts of Punjab government for the socio-economic development of the province. They said that Punjab government has made unprecedented development in the province and living standard of the people has improved due to governmental steps. They said it is a matter of pride for them to work with Punjab government.
Shahbaz announces growth plan
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