KP govt releases funds for approved schemes: minister

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has released Rs20,422.622 million to different sectors for completion of approved development schemes.

Finance Minister KP Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra revealed on Thursday that KP had become the first province to authorise all departments to spend 75 percent of development funds for the fiscal year 2019-20. “This is only possible since we are transforming financial management, instituting financial discipline, and prioritising development spending,” he told a meeting of the provincial committee. The meeting reviewed first-quarter revenue”, said an official handout. Taimur Jhagra said under the newly revised release policy, the Finance Department had released funds of Rs 20,422.622 million to different sectors and departments of expenditure on the approved schemes under capital and revenue component. Pakhtunkhwa has done a massive work facilitating and accelerating development, he added. The meeting was held to review the revenue targets set by the provincial government for fiscal year2019-20.

Besides, KP Minister for Mines and Minerals Development Dr Amjid Ali, Secretary Transport Zakir Hussain Afridi, Secretary Mines and Minerals Syed Nazar Hussain Shah, Director General KPRA Muhammad Tahir Orakzai, Director General Excise and Taxation Syed Fayyaz Ali Shah and representatives from Energy & Power, Revenue and Estate and Finance Department attended the meeting.

The committee reviewed the first quarter revenue achieved by the different departments against the targets set for the fiscal year 2019-20. The meeting was briefed regarding the measures taken by the departments for revenue generation.

Official says municipal projects to be completed in time

Project Director Municipal Services Programme, USAID Engr Attaur Rehman said that the ongoing projects under the Municipal Programme would be completed in time to resolve the problems of people and there would be no compromise over the quality of work. Addressing a meeting of the programme specialists at his office on Thursday, he directed the specialists to monitor all projects under the municipal services, ensure completion of projects in time and said there would be no compromise on the pace of work and quality. He said they would cancel the contract if low-quality materials were used in the project. The MSP, he said, was utilising all resources to keep Peshawar clean with modern facilities.

He said the work on old dilapidated houses and sanitation system in Peshawar was in final stages, which would not only provide facilities to the residents of Peshawar but also increase the beauty of this historic city. With the completion of this project, the existing sanitation system of Peshawar would be changed altogether and this problem would be solved forever.