LAHORE: A team of the Punjab government working on the reform agenda of the prime minister is scheduled to have an important meeting on the issue at the Prime Minister’s House on Wednesday, explaining what they have done so far and how they would finish the task.

“Following this meeting, the entire reform programme would be submitted to the prime minister for his final approval and implementation,” a senior official told Dawn on Sunday.

He said Punjab would complete its portion of the reform agenda by the end of the current month. The prime minister might approve it at a meeting of the provincial cabinet, he said.

According to him, the Punjab government is improving several laws and preparing policies in line with the prime minister’s change agenda. The prime minister’s office is itself handling agriculture and livestock. “We will also check what the prime minister’s office is doing, and convey the things the federal government is required to do for Punjab,” he said.

The official explained that the reform agenda would be for the next four fiscal years. It would be implemented from the next fiscal year. “Right now there is no money to fund any new initiative. Punjab has already given its annual development plan which bespeaks of the dearth of funds,” he said.

The reform agenda on which the Punjab government is working includes steps like charges on using underground water by all and sundry, reshaping the waste management companies, regulating private education institutions in favour of people, and giving new labour policies.

It is designing a new agriculture policy, amending Agriculture Produce Markets Ordinance 1978 to increase competition and improve management of public sector agriculture markets, establishing Punjab Agriculture Market Regulatory Authority for the expansion and regulation of markets, planning a comprehensive tourism policy by including archaeology and culture a part of it and suggesting amendments to the Travel Agencies Act 1976 for easing licenses for domestic tour operators.

Other aspects include formulation of the education blue print, introduction of the Pakistan Education Standards Development Act and Punjab Private Schools Registration Authority Act 2018, de-capping milk and meat prices, imposition of 100 per cent import duties on whey powder and dry milk, amendments to the Municipal Water Act 2014, provision of international distance e-learning opportunities, partnering with international institutes to improve teaching and research quality, amendments to the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act 2015, Punjab Fair Representation of Women Act 2014, Punjab Commission on the Status of Women Act 2014, Domestic Workers Act 2017, Home Based Workers Act 2017, Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act 2016, Punjab Women Protection Authority, Senior Citizens Act, and enforcement of mechanics to protect inheritance related laws.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2018