Amid alleged boycott by Balochistan changed the economic landscape. Chief Minister Jam Mir Kamal Khan Alyani, the Annual The meeting was informed that before the pandemic, Plan Coordination Committee (APCC) on Thursday final- exchange rate stability and overall fiscal performance ised total development outlay of about Rs1.41 trillion to was satisfactory barring tax revenues, reserves were achieve an economic growth rate of about 2.3 per cent building-up, current account deficit was reduced mas-next fiscal year (2020-21). sively and inflation after peaking in January started The APCC meeting, presided over by Deputy Chairman deceleration, remittances were improving and industrial Planning Commission Jahanzeb Khan, approved a federal output was going up and IMF targets for three quarters public sector development programme (PSDP) worth were fully met. Rs630 billion. The four provinces would have cumulative.
The APCC was informed that economic growth was set development plans of Rs783bn for next year. to rise over 3pc but came down to negative 0.4pc because However, the core PSDP would have an allocation of of the pandemic as industrial and services sector were Rs536bn. An amount of Rs94bn would be tentatively badly affected. Pressure on government spending made available for special areas and programmes includ- mounted, exports contracted in April 2020 but imports ing Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, security develop- fell much more quickly. ment, resettlement of temporary displaced persons Inflation will be in the lower single digit next year, and (TDPs), mainstreaming of tribal region into Khyber external account will be comfortably placed with lower Pakhtunkhwa. current account deficit.
However, exports and remittances Informed sources said Jam Kamal, who was in Islamabad are likely to face challenging global environment. and joined the meeting via video link, protested over pur- The major strategy for PSDP 2020-21 will focus on com-ported discrimination against his provinces in selection of pletion of ongoing projects, Covid-19 responsive develop-federal projects and funding allocations thereto. ment programme, more funds for social sector compared Later, he took to social media platform Twitter to claim to infrastructure and funding of only approved projects as that he (as minister planning incharge of his province) per provision of Public Finance Management Act 2019. and provincial finance minister Zahoor Buledi boycotted In the Water Sector, large multipurpose dams particu-the APCC meeting for “less preference and strategy in larly Diamer Bhasha, Mohmand, Dasu dams and drainage doing Balochistan projects”. projects have been proposed adequate funds. Small scale A Planning Commission official claimed that this state- provincial nature dams and drainage projects for less ment was misleading and was unexpected from a chief developed districts have been proposed allocations. minister.
He conceded that Mr Kamal expressed certain In the PSDP 2020-21, S9pc allocation would be for infra-reservations but did not say he was boycotting the meeting structure, 3Spc (Rs185bn) to Social Sector, and the as he was assured that APCC was just a consultative forum remaining 6pc to other sectors.
