Latest news with #AnnualDevelopmentProgramme
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
CM orders uniform design of shops
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has issued directives to initiate by-laws to introduce a uniform design for shops across the province. She emphasised while presiding over a meeting that after the completion of the Punjab Development Programme, every city should look aesthetically up to the mark. The chief minister approved the programme for the development of 189 cities. It was agreed to constitute a Project Management Unit for the programme. Under the Punjab Development Programme, construction and development projects will be completed in the cities in collaboration with the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Under the World Bank's Punjab Inclusive Cities Programme (PICP), 15 cities will be developed. Under the initiative, projects of 144 cities have been incorporated into the Annual Development Programme (ADP).
Business Recorder
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Punjab budget reflects deliberate realignment of fiscal priorities?
LAHORE: The structure of the Punjab budget for FY 2025–26 reflects a deliberate and disciplined realignment of fiscal priorities. While curtailing non-essential current expenditure, the government has expanded development spending through the largest-ever Annual Development Programme (ADP) in Punjab's history, with 47.3% increase over previous year's ADP. This expansion has been made possible through robust public financial management reforms, including but not limited to the successful retirement of unsustainable commodity operations debt. As per budget document, this year's budget reflects a strategic shift from foundational infrastructure to transformative development. While the first year focused on road connectivity and basic service delivery, FY 2025–26 marks the next logical step i.e., empowering communities through integrated urban development and rural uplift. Transport has emerged as a key priority with a focus on expanding eco-friendly public mobility options, including the introduction of electric buses to reduce urban congestion and environmental impact. The Punjab government has also placed unprecedented emphasis on education—expanding access through scholarships, laptops, school meals, and higher education grants. Health remains a cornerstone, with flagship health initiatives such as Medical City, free medicine, and new centres for cancer and cardiac care. New frontiers in IT, affordable Housing and Climate Action signal the province's ambition to build an inclusive, forward-looking economy, the budget document reveals. On the other hand, the Punjab government, in view of its rapidly increasing annual pension expense and burgeoning accrued pension liabilities accorded approval of the Defined Contribution Pension Scheme. Under the scheme, employees would be contributing for its pension contrary to the defined benefit scheme where government finances solely to the pension. This would significantly reduce the piling of accrued liability, and this has been enacted for the employees joining the government service on or after January 08, 2024. Moreover, the Punjab government has implemented the deregulation of commodity operations of wheat which previously was financed through commercial borrowing from the financial institutions. The scheme had accumulated a circular debt of Rs 629 billion outstanding at June 2022 due to unfunded general subsidy expenditure. The government has eliminated this debt from provincial revenues leading to reduction of commodity debt outstanding down to Rs 13.9 billion at April`25, which is fully backed by the wheat stock leveraging the saving of future debt service in the range of approximately Rs 50 billion per annum. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
KP govt to form ‘Climate Action Board'
PESHAWAR: The KP government is mulling over to constitute a 10-member Climate Action Board to coordinate and oversee climate strategies across the province and ensure harmonisation of all efforts in this regard. For this purpose, the provincial government has already tabled the draft KP Climate Action Board Act, 2025 in the provincial assembly. With Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Planning and Development Department and Secretaries Finance, Law, Climate Change, Energy & Power, Transport & Mass Transit, Head of the concerned department if not already member, Local Government and four members from private sector including a woman would work administratively and functionally independent and the government would use its best efforts to promote, enhance and maintain its independence. The board without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provision would develop, review, amend and oversee the execution of climate policies and action plans, advice the government on climate policies, commitment and strategies. The board would conduct and maintain provincial greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and establish emissions baselines, and conduct, promote and oversee research on mitigation, adaptation and climate finance; coordinate and facilitate climate action activities across departments; ensure climate tagging of all schemes in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for alignment with climate goals. It would also be responsible for mobilisation of financial resources for climate action and establishment and maintaining a dedicated Climate Action Board Fund; coordinate and pitch provincial projects for international climate financing e.g., Green Climate Finance, Climate Investment Finance, Global Environment facility etc. The board would also facilitate participation in carbon markets and support the generation of carbon credits; establish and implement carbon pricing mechanism to encourage low-carbon development; monitor and evaluate awareness campaigns on climate change and promote environmental sustainability. The Climate Action Board would also engage wit stakeholders, including communities, industries and civil society to ensure community resilience to climate change including systems for adoptive and shock responsive social protection; build capacity through the development and implementation of training programmes on climate action. Furthermore, it would also nominate and finalise government officials, experts and representatives for climate-related training, conferences and events; liaise and coordinate with federal government in matters falling within its jurisdiction; review, negotiate, approve and execute Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) letters of intents and other climate related agreements. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
21-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
WASA Lahore secures biggest budget share
The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Lahore has emerged as the primary beneficiary in Punjab's development outlay for the water and sanitation sector in fiscal year 2025-26, securing the lion's share of funds under the Annual Development Programme (ADP). According to the budget document presented by Punjab Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman in the Punjab Assembly, a total of 94 ongoing schemes worth Rs58.13 billion have been allocated across five WASA agencies. Of these, Lahore alone accounts for 59 projects with an estimated cost of Rs24.83 billion, highlighting a sharp imbalance in the distribution of development funds. The remaining four agencies — Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, and Rawalpindi — have been allocated a combined total of only 35 schemes valued at Rs33.29 billion. Critics have pointed to this disparity as a sign of systemic neglect toward cities outside the provincial capital. In terms of new schemes, WASA Lahore again topped the list with 24 new initiatives for the upcoming fiscal year. WASA Gujranwala received only two new projects — valued at Rs5.9 billion and Rs1.51 billion respectively — with budgeted allocations of just Rs.122 million and Rs.13 million for the next year. Despite submitting hundreds of new proposals, agencies such as WASA Multan, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi were left out of the new development portfolio altogether. Senior officials from these agencies, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed frustration over the exclusion, warning that millions of residents, especially in Faisalabad — the textile hub of Pakistan — will remain deprived of clean drinking water. For ongoing projects, WASA Faisalabad received funding for 17 schemes worth Rs19.5 billion, while WASA Multan secured four schemes totalling Rs5.17 billion, and WASA Rawalpindi was granted five projects amounting to Rs6.38 billion. However, actual fund allocations for 2025-26 remain meagre: Rs126 million for Faisalabad, Rs365 million for Multan, and Rs.166 million for Rawalpindi — figures that stakeholders say are insufficient to meaningfully advance the existing work.
Business Recorder
20-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Punjab sports-related initiatives highlighted
LAHORE: Provincial Minister for Sports & Youth Affairs Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar said the Punjab government aims to engage youth in positive activities through sports and sports-related initiatives and youth empowerment plans included in Punjab's Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2025–26. Speaking at a news conference here Thursday, Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar stated that a budget of Rs7.6 billion has been allocated for the Sports and Youth Affairs Department this year. He emphasized that the Punjab government's top priority is to provide opportunities to the youth and ensure the development of modern sports infrastructure. He informed the media that under last year's 'Khelta Punjab' programme, more than 120,000 athletes participated. This year, the initiative is being expanded further with talent hunt events being organized across districts, and significant work is already underway to rehabilitate and improve existing sports infrastructure. The Provincial Minister also shared that the first phase of the Chief Minister's Internship Programme has been successfully completed, benefiting 6,000 youth with a monthly stipend of Rs25,000. In Phase Two, the number of interns will be increased to 10,000, and the stipend will be raised to Rs60,000 per month. He further revealed that for the first time in the province's history, a Sports Endowment Fund has been established, under which athletes are being supported with funds of Rs30,000, Rs50,000, and Rs70,000. A Self-Sustaining System is also being introduced to address salary-related issues of sports department employees on a permanent basis, he added. He also highlighted that under the up-gradation of Punjab Stadium, Nishtar Park, Lahore, increasing seating capacity from 6,000 to 10,000. Scheme of Construction of a 102-room hotel/hostel at Nishtar Park Sports Complex at a cost of Rs800 million also approved. He also briefed about schemes of development of an Indoor Sports Arena for table tennis, snooker, board games, indoor rowing, revival of the International Boxing Arena, construction of a baseball ground in Lahore, rehabilitation and construction of Velodrome, Swimming Pool, Indoor Volleyball Complex, construction of Padel Tennis Courts in Lahore, Multan, and Sialkot while multipurpose Sports Facilities will be established along Rahim Yar Khan, Muridke, and Narowal Road. The Minister emphasized that the Punjab Government is working to revive traditional sports like Kabaddi, reconnecting the youth with cultural roots. He said that more projects will be included in the upcoming fiscal year and equal sports opportunities will be provided in every district of the province. Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar concluded by stating, 'Our goal is not just to build infrastructure but to ensure its sustainable and autonomous management.' Under the vision of the Chief Minister, every possible step is being taken to empower youth, promote sports, and prepare future champions. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
