June 01, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 15, 1428

ISLAMABAD, May 31: In nine months, the Education Division has spent a mere 20 per cent, or Rs1.281 billion, of the total Rs6.56 billion of the current financial year’s allotted development budget — a grim reflection on the government’s commitment towards education.

The total amount released to the Education Division by the end of March, 2007, was only Rs2.124 billion.

The figures were announced by the Centre for Peace and Development Initiative (CPDI) just days ahead of the announcement of the Federal Budget 2007-2008.

Expressing deep concerns over “this extremely slow pace of implementation of education sector development projects,” the Islamabad-based civil society organisation said the Planning and Development Division has decided not to entertain new projects until the Education Division completes the ones already on its portfolio.

“This situation holds grave implications for efforts to improve and reform the education sector,” observed the CPDI, maintaining that the Education Division’s poor performance prompted the relevant authorities to substantially revise the original Rs6.56 billion Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) allocation for the current financial year.

After the Mid Year Review in December 2006, this allocation was reduced to Rs4.948 billion and Rs1.314 billion were surrendered to the Economic Affairs Division (EAD).

Further whittling occurred during the Third Quarter Review in April, 2007, and the PSDP allocation now stands at Rs4.382 billion.

This figure is 33 per cent less that the Rs6.56 billion originally allocated in the Federal Budget 2006-2007.

Even if the Education Division were able to spend the entire revised amount by June 2007, when the current financial year expires, it would amount to only 67 per cent of the original sum allocated. And considering its track record over the past nine months, this is highly unlikely, said CPDI.

Referring to the Education Division’s abysmal performance, the CPDI said that delays in releasing funds and initiating projects often result in meagre utilisation of allocated funds during the first two quarters of a given financial year.

This is borne out by the fact that by the end of the current financial year’s first quarter, i.e. September 2006, the Education Division had utilised only Rs106 million out of the Rs596 million released.

“Other factors include the non-appointment of independent projects’ directors, as well as frequent and whimsical transfers of project directors,” CPDI observed.