LAHORE, April 20: The Punjab government has started working to develop and design the medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) as part of its second general governance and fiscal reforms being pursued under the Punjab Resource Management Programme.

The programme was launched in 2003 with the financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank.

An international consultant on MTEF, Mr Stephen Perkins, has already arrived here to assist the province develop the framework model. During his stay he will hold meetings with senior government officials from various provincial departments.

The development of the MTEF would build upon the results achieved by the provincial government from its adoption of medium-term budgetary framework (MTBF) and establishment of an MTBF Cell in the provincial finance department, officials said on Friday.

Mr Perkins, officials said, would assist the Punjab government in defining a roadmap for the MTEF implementation across the sectoral ministries. “To achieve that purpose the specialist will familiarise the provincial government officials with the MTEF concept by way of presentations on the best practices in the MTEF in other developing countries.

The presentation will provide the government with a critical understanding of the MTEF process, necessary conditions for it to work as a tool for enforcement of fiscal policy objectives and the fiscal data necessary to elaborate the MTEF,” the officials said.