KP govt explains priorities to donors

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Thursday briefed the donor agencies about its development strategy.

Minister for Local Government, Elections and Rural Development Shahram Khan Tarakai and Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra co-chaired the meeting.

Chief Secretary KP Salim Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Shahzad Khan Bangash, Secretary Finance Shakeel Qadar, Secretary Information and Public

Relations Mukhtiar Ahmad Khan, Secretary Local Government Zakir Shah, Secretary P&D Atif-Rehman, Secretary home Ikramullah Khan and other government officials also attended the meeting.

In the dialogue, representatives of different developmental agencies and donors including Asian Development Bank, World Bank, DFID, European Union UNDP and Jiaka were present.

Shahram Khan Tarkai in his opening remarks described the provincial government priorities.

Sustainable development strategy, 10 years strategy for tribal areas, comprehensive development partnership framework, budget 2019-20 and new local government system was the main areas on which dialogue was made and stressed to enhance mutual partnership and cooperation in these sectors.

Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra said, “We have to prepare successful planning in the 100 days of our government, we not only fixed our priorities but also set the developmental goals.”

He said for the uplift of economy we promoted tourism in the province. He went on to say that the government was actively involved in activating Rashakai Economic Zone.

Shahram Khan Tarakai, while briefing the participants about the amended local government system and its benefits, said the system has been made more deliverable by converting it to two tiers- under which in 25 tehsils of merged districts, 702 village & neighbourhood councils would be established.