PSDP witnesses record utilization of 39 percent in 8 months: Umar

05 Mar, 2020

He said that the maximum utilization of the PSDP was witnessed in the FY 2014-2015, when it touched 32 percent in the first six months. The minister said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was committed to the speedy and transparent completion of all the ongoing projects, and had been working to ensure diligent monitoring and evaluation, and implementation of all the projects.

He said that during the current financial year, more than 200 projects were expected to be completed. The minister said that Peshawar-Karachi Motorway Project (Sukkur-Multan section) had been completed up to 99 percent, and this year Rs 17.7 billion were spent on that project. He said that Faisalabad-Khanewal road project had witnessed 98 percent physical progress, and Rs 5 billion were allocated for it.

While highlighting the progress made to ensure water security for Pakistan, Umar said in a statement that during the first eight months of the current financial year Rs 2.5 billion were spent under the National Program for Improvement of Watercourses in Pakistan-Phase-II, which translated to a 50 percent utilization rate, whereas work on Mohmand Dam Hydropower project had also been initiated, and Rs 2.8 billion had already been spent. He said that for the construction of small dams in Khuzdar Rs 125 million had been utilized.

Meanwhile, the federal government has released Rs 464.71 billion (66.3 percent) including Rs 92.74 billion foreign aid (72.3 percent) for various ongoing and new development projects under the PSDP 2019-2020 against the total budgeted allocation of Rs 701 billion.

According to the latest PSDP 2019-2020 data released by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms last Saturday, the government released Rs 193.1 billion (63.6 percent) including Rs 12.48 billion foreign aid for development projects of various ministries, divisions and related departments out of Rs 303.66 billion budgeted allocation.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020

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