Budget 2021: Govt prioritising sectors that promise jobs to youth, PM Imran tells NEC

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said in the wake of the coronavirus, the PTI-led government was prioritising sectors that promise job opportunities to the youth, the agriculture sector, and the upgradation of the public health system in the country.

According to a statement issued by the Press Information Department on Wednesday, the premier while chairing a meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), emphasised the need to ensure close and seamless coordination between the federal and provincial governments during the finalisation and implementation of the development projects.

The premier underscored the need for employing technology to monitor the progress of the ongoing projects.

He stressed the need for ensuring public participation in the development process through the provision of real-time information and getting their feedback on the implementation status of the projects.

PM Imran directed that a biannual meeting of the NEC be ensured to review the progress of Public Sector Development Programme projects.

The NEC, while reviewing the state of the economy during the current fiscal year and the outlook for the upcoming one, approved the GDP growth target along with sectoral growth projections of agriculture, industry, and services for the fiscal year 2020-21. The macroeconomic framework in the proposed Annual Plan 2020-21 was also approved.

The NEC was informed that this is the first time that PSDP includes only those projects that have already been approved by the relevant forums which are strictly in adherence with the best practices of planning.

It was told that 149 projects costing Rs827 billion will likely be completed by the end of this month.

The participants of the meeting were informed that PSDP projects for FY 2020-21 are especially focusing on the development of less-developed areas of the country including Balochistan, merged areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.

The NEC also approved National Development Outlay 2020-21 and Federal PSDP.