PESHAWAR, Nov 13: NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah has said that the provincial government has retired Rs5.7 billion loan during the current financial year thus making a saving of almost Rs1 billion under the head of payment of interest on this loan annually.
Talking to a World Bank mission, which called on him at the Governor’s House here on Wednesday, the governor said that savings made this way had been earmarked for the recruitment of teachers and doctors in the province.
It is worth mentioning that the provincial government has already recruited more than 500 doctors, whereas the process for appointment of 6,000 teachers is in progress and is expected to be completed by the end of this month.
The massive restructuring of the government departments and organizations, the governor added, had not only resulted in vast savings, but also proved quite helpful in ensuring better management and monitoring system.
Referring to a point regarding pension liabilities, the governor said except a few indispensable departments and institutions, all the new recruitments were being made on contract basis.
Talking about another point, the governor said the main thrust of the government policies was on bringing down involvement of public sector to a minimum level and encourage the private sector to play its due role.
In this connection, he also mentioned winding up of organizations like Agriculture Development Department and Cooperative Department, and said the government’s efforts had proved quite helpful in decreasing the burden on national exchequer.
In the health sector, the governor said, the introduction of institutional-based practice system had resulted in savings in the respective hospitals, which were utilizing the savings to meet their expenses.
This initiative, he remarked, had brought radical changes and now the hospitals were in a better position to extend health care services to the patients.
Besides, the governor said, the working of the doctors of government hospitals had also been brought under a proper discipline.
As far as development was concerned, the governor said that $90 million soft loan, provided by the bank to the provincial government had proved helpful in giving an impetus to its activities.
He expressed the confidence that the process would continue in future too. The governor, however, made it clear that the education and health sector would remain government’s top priority.
The World Bank team, apprised themselves about the progress made so far with regard to utilization of $90 million soft loan and hinted at the possibility of extending its second tranche by June next.