PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, Muhammad Sohail Afridi, has called for expediting work on the KP Rural Economic Transformation Project (KPRETP), terming it a flagship initiative aimed at boosting the provincial economy and improving rural livelihood.

Presiding over a meeting at the chief minister’s secretariat, Afridi expressed concern over the slow pace of progress and directed the authorities concerned to remove administrative bottlenecks and ensure timely and transparent implementation of the project, said an official statement.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Economic Transformation Project (KPRETP), worth over Rs30 billion, is being implemented with the support of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to promote agribusiness, skill development, employment generation, and policy reform across the province. The initiative is expected to benefit more than 4.3 million people.

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During the meeting, also attended by additional chief secretary (planning and development) Ikramullah Khan and senior officials from the relevant departments, Mr Afridi issued directions for strict adherence to project timelines and provisions laid out in the PC-1, making it clear that negligence or delays would not be entertained.

He also stressed that complete transparency and merit must be ensured in the selection of project staff and beneficiaries. “Every rupee of public money must be spent transparently and for the intended purpose,” the statement quoted the chief minister as saying during the meeting.

Mr Afridi said the project would play an important role in stabilising the provincial economy while creating employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in rural areas.

The meeting was informed that the project was aimed at development in three vital sectors which include agri-business development, skills development and employment promotion, and project management and policy support.

Under the agri-business development component, 550 professional farmer organisations (PFOs) are to be established, while the skills development segment aims to train and facilitate employment for 60,000 youth, 20,000 of whom have already been trained.

Officials informed that the project drew 58 per cent of its funding from IFAD, 16 per cent from the provincial government, and 26 per cent from the beneficiaries themselves.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2025