ISLAMABAD:
The chairman of a Senate committee has called for a ban on all new projects under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) in view of the growing number of “short-term” projects.
A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Planning and Special Initiatives was held on Friday under the chairmanship of Senator Qurat-ul-Ain Marri.
The committee was previously briefed about the PSDP funds allocated for Punjab projects.
The Punjab government has requested Rs 150 billion from the federal government through the PSDP. The Ministry of Finance said details of allocated funds for the third quarter have not yet been received.
The Planning Secretary informed the panel that Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal had approved the allocation of PSDP funds a day earlier and the details had been sent and would reach the Finance Ministry soon.
Speaking on the occasion, Marri said there should be a ban on new PSDP projects due to the increasing postponement of PSDP projects. She said the minister is expected to attend the committee meeting to provide a briefing on the ‘Uraan Pakistan’ initiative. “The minister must answer several unanswered questions,” she added.
The committee was informed that a total of 170 new projects are included in the PSDP, but only 25 projects have received NOC so far.
The committee asked the Punjab government to include its share in the PSDP projects. The panel was informed that ministries have used less of their allocated budgets.
The Investment Council spent 7% and the Ministry of Climate Change 12% of their budgets in six months. The Ministry of Counter-Narcotics and the Ministry of Religious Affairs spent nothing against their allocations.
The committee then directed all ministries to expedite the utilization of the PSDP budget.
The PSDP is a key framework used by the Government of Pakistan to finance and manage development projects and initiatives in various sectors across the country.
PSDP funds are allocated to infrastructure development, improving public services and supporting economic growth. It focuses on areas such as health, education, transportation, energy, water resources and agriculture.
