Evaluation report on annual ADP launched

LAHORE: Planning and Development Chairman Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan appreciated the Punjab Economic Research Institute’s (PERI) in-depth evaluation of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) and commented on the findings showcasing fiscal multiplier of ADP, impact of ADP on economic growth, development, and poverty reduction efforts of the province.

Addressing the PERI launching ceremony of its twelve research reports here on Thursday, Jahanzeb Khan praised the efforts of the Punjab Economic Research Institute (PERI) research team for presenting a highly useful analysis.

Addressing the “Road Scorecard” session, Mian Muhammad Mushtaq, Additional Chief Secretary, C&W Department, lauded the meticulous approach of consulting internationally recognised indices for the construction of the road index. The stakeholders appreciated the effort of PERI to design a well thought-out road prioritisation mechanism.

Dr Muhammad Abid Bodla, member (Infrastructure Development), highlighted the significance of the report that proposes a framework which can be easily implemented by the policymakers.

Earlier, Dr Mumtaz Anwar, Director, Punjab Economic Research Institute P&DD, highlighted the main goal of the economic research institute, that is to provide a strong conceptual and empirical basis for policy-making and to also better communicate policy to the markets and the public. Moreover, he informed the audience about PERI’s contribution in the development process which is being done through the carrying out of evidence based research, establishing databases, and organising series of seminars and training workshops. He mentioned different research studies, conferences, policy briefs and other collaborative research activities being conducted by PERI.

The launch is comprised of individual presentation sessions of each of the 12 research reports. Different sessions were chaired by relevant secretaries of line departments and members of P&D Board. The reports encompass various sectors of Punjab’s economy, including agriculture, education, health, infrastructure, women development, and small scale industry, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the area of human resource (HR). The presentations highlighted key socio-economic issues prevalent in Punjab and, based on the research conducted, they offered in-depth and actionable insights to the stakeholders and policymakers.

The investigative study on fertilizer subsidies presented a comprehensive view and tackled an important issue of how subsidies influence the productivity of crops in Punjab, and suggested to devise an appropriate and focused mechanism.

The reports on social sectors (education and health) offered timely evidence based implications. In particular, the educational attainment report encompassed all education levels, hence enabling the concerned authorities to aptly analyse the information at the local level, as the findings gave more disaggregated evidence at the local level.

The study on health sector brought to light the current situation of the citizens of Punjab and how various stakeholders can bring improvements through better health care facilities and at the same time by creating public awareness.

PERI has also explored the relatively new area of women development and launched a report highlighting the situational analysis of female factory workers in manufacturing sector.