Provincial budget to further accelerate the development: Shahbaz

[Salman]

Provincial budget to further accelerate the development: Shahbaz

Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that the next provincial budget for the financial year 2012-13 will be reflective of the aspirations of the masses which will further accelerate the development projects and improve the living standard of the people.

He said that this budget will bring prosperity in the life of the poor people.

He said that the people belonging to all walks of life including labourers, farmers and other neglected people especially benefit from this budget through welfare projects which will pave way for the balanced development at grass-roots level.

He said that the process of public service and development activities will continue in the next financial year vigorously which will leave positive impacts of five years' good governance on the life of the masses.

The Chief Minister said that provision of new opportunities of jobs and elimination of poverty is an important agenda of the government and provincial government will continue to take such steps as could provide additional economic resources to the common man for living an honourable life.

He expressed these views while addressing a high level meeting held here Sunday with regard to provincial budget for the financial year 2012-13.

Senator Ishaq Dar, Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Mashhood Ahmad, Provincial Ministers, Members National and Provincial Assembly, Chief Secretary, Chairman Planning & Development and secretaries of various departments attended the meeting.

The meeting which lasted for more than four hours discussed in detail various features of next provincial budget.

The meeting agreed that special attention be paid to the mega projects of education, health and public welfare so that there should be significant improvement in the life style of common man and every person get fruit of development.

Addressing the meeting, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that Punjab government will take special steps for completing the public welfare projects through its next budget.

He said that due to the public welfare steps during the last four years, Punjab has become a best model of good governance.

He said that provincial government has provided best services and facilities to the people by improving performance of government machinery and best utilisation of development funds due to which their confidence in the government departments has enhanced.

The Chief Minister said that common man has been especially benefited from the steps taken during the last four years with regard to improving education and health sectors besides providing best facilities to the people.

He said that free medicines costing billion of rupees are being provided to the patients in the hospitals and the funds will be increased this year in this head so that maximum people could benefit from these facilities.

Shahbaz Sharif said that besides health, promotion of education is top priority of the government and the process of taking solid steps for provision of quality education to the students and expansion and uplift of education sector will continue as usual.

He said that in addition to Daanish School system, centers of excellence are also being set up at district level.

He said that through this step, best quality educational facilities would be available to the students near to their homes.

While giving approval to the proposal with regard to temporary recruitment of teachers by the school councils with the permission of concerned District Co-ordination Officers for meeting the shortage of teachers and educational institutions, the Chief Minister said that the educated jobless youth will benefit from this step and the problem of the shortage of teachers in the school will also be resolved.

He rejected the proposal of increasing the charges of solid waste and water and sewerage and added that no burden will be put on the poor and common man in the next financial budget and such persons will be brought into tax net as are in a position to pay it.

He said that the system of collection of taxes will be improved and made more transparent.

He said that facilities will be provided to the taxpayers which will further enhance confidence of taxpayers in government machinery.

Shahbaz Sharif said that the resources generated through financial discipline, transparency and good governance are also being spent on the welfare of the people.

He said that besides big cities, balanced development of villages is also being ensured so that all facilities should be available to the youth and farmers living in rural areas.

Chief Secretary Punjab Nasir Mehmood Khosa informed the meeting that the governmental structure of governance has been improved within the existing taxes system through effective steps of government.

Similarly, the ratio of collection of taxes has also been increased, he added.

Secretary Finance Tariq Bajwa gave a detailed briefing regarding proposals of budget for the year 2012-13.

Participants in the meeting also put forth their suggestions about the budget.