Public invited to give budget proposals

LAHORE : Punjab Finance Department has issued the email and postal address for the general public to submission their budget proposals for the fiscal year 2020-21 alongside prioritising environment protection, economic revival, health, hygiene, investment and employment opportunities and social protection.

The Finance Department also published ads and placed these priority sectors on its website for the public awareness and their inclusion in budget making process.

This was announced by Punjab Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakhat while chairing a review meeting of budget making. He said inclusion of the public in the budget making process is an attempt to make it the most transparent and revive the public trust in the government institutions.

He said the budget is an administrative matter but the general public is the major stakeholder in it. He said the government relies on tax collected from public for its expenditures so the public will be aware of where the money is spent.

The finance secretary informed the meeting that the advertisement about the priority sectors was published along with postal address and email address.

He said the budget section was reviewing the proposals received through the email budget.ro@punjab.gov.pk and through post at Finance Department Punjab Civil Secretariat Lahore. He said the public can submit their suggestions and proposals by May 20, 202.

Yasmin reviews steps against coronavirus spread

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has said that the government is taking all-out measure to ensure safety and wellbeing to people, and all available resources are being utilised for treatment of Covid-19 patients.

She said this while chairing a meeting called to review the coronavirus pandemic situation at the Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education (SH&ME) Department here on Saturday.

The minister reviewed all the steps taken to control the spread of the disease and deal with the rising number of cases in Punjab.

The minister said that in view of the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in the province, the status of intensive care units (ICUs), high dependency units, ventilators, life-saving medicines and other facilities was being reviewed regularly.

She said that softening of lockdown did not mean that corona pandemic had ended.

She said, “We will have to be very careful about the spread of the disease now. We have to win this battle at any cost.”

The private sector must be alerted to remain prepared for any kind of emergency situation, he said.

SH&ME Secretary Barrister Nabeel Awan gave a briefing to the minister on the measures taken across the province for prevention of coronavirus spread and treatment of patients.

Special Secretary Nadir Chatha, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Special Secretary Ajmal Bhatti, Additional Secretary Dr Asif Tufail, Mayo Hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Professor Asad Aslam Khan and Dr Mehmud Shaukat also attended the meeting.