Caretaker govt set to take decisions of long-term import ahead of polls

ISLAMABAD: The caretaker government is set to take important decisions before the general elections scheduled on February 8.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has called a meeting of the National Economic Council on January 29 and a Five-Year Plan will be presented in the meeting. A proposal to ban 76 provincial projects worth Rs121 billion with zero progress and deduction of Rs29 billion from parliamentarians’ schemes will be submitted for approval. According to government sources, the 5-Year Plan from 2024-25 to 2028-29 will be presented in the meeting of the National Economic Council. Allocation of Rs34.55 billion had been made in the budget of the current financial year for 76 provincial projects of zero progress.

According to sources, there is also a proposal to ban provincial projects from PSDP in the future. The sources said the proposal to ban more funds for parliamentarians’ schemes will also be considered in the meeting.

According to government sources, it is proposed not to release funds for the schemes of parliamentarians during the remainder of the current fiscal year 2023-24. However, there is no proposal to ban the expenditure of already released funds.

According to the sources, the government is implementing the cost reduction plan under the IMF programme and implementation of the decision will save about Rs29 billion. It has been approved to release Rs61.28 billion for the schemes of parliamentarians during July-December 2023.