PAKISTAN PUTS US$5.2 BLN INTO PUBLIC SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

ISLAMABAD, June 8 Asia Pulse - Pakistan's National Economic Council (NEC) Thursday approved a Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) worth Rs 421 billion (US$5.2 billion) for the next financial year.

Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Sardar Asif Ahmad Ali and Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said RS 209 billion or 49 per cent of the PSDP would go towards infrastructure development. Social sector spending would hit Rs 190 billion, which would be 46 per cent of the total allocations for the PSDP. The production sector has had Rs 22 billion earmarked for it.

In addition, Rs 40 billion have been allocated to the industrial sector, Rs 50 billion to rehabilitate internally displaced persons and Rs 70 billion for the Benazir Income Support Programme.

Sardar Asif Ahmad Ali said the NEC had set GDP growth rate for the next year at 3.3 per cent, as against two per cent for the outgoing year. He said the government would give major attention towards social sector development.

Information Minister said Chief Minister for Balochistan briefed the NEC about the problems being faced by the province. He said Balochistan would be given Rs 8 billion including Rs 50 billion for provincial PSDP. The provinces expressed unity with Balochistan to eliminate the sense of deprivation of the province.

He said Rs 1.75 billion would be given to NWFP for poverty alleviation. All the provincial representatives supported the military operation ...