20000218

Finmin starts

preparation for

next fiscal year's PSDP

ISLAMABAD: The Finance Ministry has started the preparation for Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for 2000-2001.

Official sources informed Fortuna that the finance ministry has asked all the federal ministries/division/attached departments to submit their proposals, to be incorporated in the PSDP 2000-2001.

Sources said the finance ministry has also arranged, 'priorities meetings' of all the ministries to discuss the programme with the concerned officials in the light of their proposals and demands.

"The Planning and Development Division has been requested by the finance ministry to prepare the working papers for the priorities committee meetings," said the sources.

The budget wing of the finance ministry has informed all the federal ministries that it has been decided to hold the priorities committee meetings in the committee room of finance division to discuss and finalise the PSDP 2000-2001 under the chairmanship of additional secretary finance (budget).

These sources said that all the federal ministries/divisions have been requested to ensure appropriate representation in the meetings. "Finance division has conveyed that the participants should be fully conversant with the projects." In case of projects for allocation under directives and Social Action Programme (SAP), the sources informed that the finance division has asked that the presentations should be complete and copies of directive and agreed operation plan for SAP should be furnished in the meetings. Non-inclusion of such projects in the PSDP will be the sole responsibility of the ministry/divisions, finance ministry has made it clear to all the ministries.

Sources said the finance ministry's budget wing has also informed the federal ministries that minutes of these meetings would not be issued, and that New Items Statement (NIS) in the prescribed performa will have to be submitted within 24 hours after the allocation letters issued by the budget wing.

The ministries have also been asked to depute a responsible officer to conduct the reconciliation of compilation of development expenditures. "The finance ministry has conveyed to all the concerned that ministries/divisions should follow finance division's instructions for preparation of NIS."

Sources said that finance ministry has further informed that the work relating to building and structures undertaken by the federal government will be executed by the works division. For the purpose, the sources said that the works division has been requested to depute chief engineer Pakistan Works Department (PWD) to attend the meeting of all those ministries, which involve construction component in their development budget.ÑFortuna