‘Funds to be used to get desired results’

LAHORE: Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht has said that the government was sensitive about every rupee spent and every single penny of the public money will be utilised for desired results.

The MICS findings have highlighted severe regional disparities which the PTI government will bridge through its commitment to regional equalisation and equal opportunities for all.

Speaking at the launching ceremony of the Survey Findings Report (SFR) of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) Punjab 2017-18, he said that through the coordinated efforts of Planning and Development Board, UNICEF, Bureau of Statistics and under the leadership of P&D chairman, secretary and chief economist Punjab, we now have a reliable and thorough set of data that can be used to inform the planning and development process of the province. He expressed hope that academicians and researchers should use the MICS data to inform on what kind of development interventions were effective in the past and also identify areas where public money was misspent. Speaking on the occasion, UNICEF representative, Aida Girma said that the MICS Punjab reached more than 53,000 households and conducted interviews with 74,000 women, 27,000 men and 74,000 children across 36 districts in Punjab, which was a massive undertaking. Highest standard was ensured so that the findings were statistically sound and representative. She assured of UNICEF'S continued support to the Punjab government in analysis of policy development such as calculation of the child wellbeing index.

Chairman P&D Board, Habib-ur-Rehman Gillani on the occasion congratulated the Bureau of Statistics team and said that the Planning and Development Board was committed to the human development agenda and the MICS data would be the key to inform, facilitate and support our planning initiatives in these areas. MICS is a global household survey, which provides robust and credible evidence to be used for planning & policy making to track and improve overall social indicators particularly those affecting children and women. The SFR of MICS Punjab, 2017-18 will provide valuable data about many critical socio-economic indicators that will be useful for policy makers in Punjab to evaluate the current situation in these areas and to help them serve as a guideline for formulation of relevant interventions for the betterment of citizens of Punjab in future. Introduced by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the 90s, MICS has become the largest source of statistically sound and internationally comparable data about women and children worldwide.