PESHAWAR, Jan 18: A high-level meeting held here on Friday reviewed the overall fiscal situation and took various decisions to discipline the financial sector in the province.

Presided over by NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah, the meeting was attended by provincial ministers and high-ranking government officials.

The meeting was briefed about steps taken and financial strategy adopted to bridge the gap between financial responsibilities and savings.

Speaking at the meeting, the governor said that financial discipline would widen fiscal space.

By improving receipts collection mechanism, trimming down non-development expenditures and re-arranging the unused resources for the benefit of the people would reduce additional burden on the exchequer.

He said the government was trying to take out the province from financial hardships through sustained efforts. The fiscal responsibilities rose to an unmanageable extent that also affected the service delivery system, he added.

The governor said it was time to exploit the natural resources, involve the private sector and ensure that the government did not run institutions and facilities in public sector, which was a constant source of over-burdening the meagre resources.