Uzair bin Farid

The Government of Pakistan has allocated Rs9 billion for the Sustainable Development Goals Achievement Program (SAP) under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2023-24. The funds will be forwarded to the Cabinet Division which will run the program. The federal government has outlined various areas under the SAP where the funds will be funnelled in a phased manner to achieve the targets under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The plan will be democratic in nature in a sense that the funds will be spent according to the demands of the people of any area to meet various socio-economic needs. The government has set a limit of spending on different programs at Rs50 million on the upper side and Rs0.25 million on the lower side.

The government has, however, made an exception for Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company Ltd (SSGCL), where the funds can be allocated above the upper limit as set for other programs. Similarly, the lower limit for power sector schemes has been brought down to Rs0.15 million to make space for small power sector projects. In order of priority, the government will spend the funds on education, health, clean drinking water, roads, (including streets, culverts, bridges), sanitation (defined as access to relieving facilities/latrines), gas (development of new infrastructure), electricity, and other interventions that will help in the achievement of SDGs.

In order to save the limited resources at government’s disposal, the Cabinet Division has also directed all the relevant authorities that no unnecessary spending will be made on buying vehicles, salaries, fixtures, holding of official meetings and dinner parties. No amount of money for the SAP will come from foreign aid. All the funds under the umbrella of the SAP will be provided from the revenue that the government raises through its own efforts. The SAP will boost efforts to achieve the SDGs which have become all the more important for a country like Pakistan with a fragile economy and uncertain prospects.

The effort to improve human capital levels of the country after spending on education and health will create a buffer against future shocks. Similarly, improvement in infrastructure of the country will give the much-needed boost to the slow process of development. The government must make sure that the new projects under the SAP anticipate the needs of people for the next 100 years; if they do not integrate long-term planning methods into their decision-making processes, a repetition of the same old cycle of short-lived results will be observed.

Credit: INP-WealthPk