PESHAWAR, March 21: The NWFP government’s three-year medium term multi-sectoral reforms programme unveiled under the current financial year’s budget has yet to come into effect, according to interviews of various government functionaries.
Carrying measures to attain operational and financial efficiency, the provincial reforms programme had envisaged to resolve the financial and administrative problems facing the province.
But, despite lapse of eight months, no head way could be made as far as the aims and objectives of the reforms programme are concerned, according to official sources.
Expansion of the provincial revenue base, enhancement of the agricultural production, increase in the power production with an aim to revitalize industrialization, employment generation through information technology, poverty alleviation through Khushhal Pakistan Programme, improvement in service delivery, provision of regulatory framework and preserving environment are some of the objectives of the reforms programme.
In reality, said official sources on condition of anonymity, the gap between the current financial year’s provincial own receipts target and recoveries remained as greater as it was during the last financial year.
Similarly, the rest of the targets, too, remained unmet as the provincial authorities concerned have yet to come up with their respective strategies to pursue the goals various sub-sectors have been set under the reforms programme.
Though the development planners working in different departments of the provincial government, admitted a couple of them had been provided with copies of the reforms programme, nothing practical measures have been taken to make the reforms programme implemented.
It is learnt on good authority that a World Bank economist Dr. Sirshar, originally hailing from the now defunct Hazara division of NWFP — who had earlier been engaged by the provincial government to formulate the reforms programme — has, this time around, been engaged by the Bank to help the province fine tune it to qualify for WB’s multi-million dollar structural adjustment loan.
According to highly placed official sources, initially the NWFP government was eying $100m structural adjustment loan.