He was presiding high level meeting with the visiting World Bank mission at cabinet room of civil secretariat Peshawar on Thursday wherein strategy for economic development of the province was threadbare discussed.
The World Bank mission led by its Country Director Ijaz Nabi also included Paul Wade, senior country economist and Ms. Zarin Naqvi, senior economist while provincial ministers Inayatullah, Hafiz Akhtar Ali and Hussain Ahmad Kanju as well as administrative secretaries and other authorities of health, education, finance, P&D, social welfare, tourism, agriculture, irrigation and other departments also attended.
The senior minister expressed his concern and reservations over the fact that governments did not get sufficient and in time funds from donor agencies despite lapses of resources and energies on planning, surveys and studies for development of resources.
He said that far-reaching results could be accrued if funds were timely provided for welfare of the masses that besides helping to improve national economy would also enhance credibility of the donor agencies.
Sirajul Haq said provincial government has decided to mould its strategies and introduce more reforms in consultation with world donor agencies wherein voluntarily co-operation of all universities and concerned institutions would be sought in research and planning for material and manpower resource development and economic growth to increase talent and experts in all concerned sectors.
He said we could not exploit our potentials in minerals, water, hydle power generation, agriculture lands and tourism sectors despite its abundant availability due to funds constraint though comprehensive schemes were chalked out for the purpose.
World donor agencies had to come out with certain concrete steps of funds provision rather than to see and wait, he exhorted.
Sirajul Haq said merely improving irrigation system and boosting agriculture output in the province could not only make us self sufficient in food requirements but could also enable us to export it to Afghanistan and other neighbouring countries.
He said Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) government has made tremendous achievement in best and transparent utilisation of the available resources through strict financial discipline, checking corruption, reducing non developmental expenditures and other realistic measures.
Provincial Ministers Hafiz Akhtar Ali, Inayatullah, Hussain Ahmad Kanju and administrative secretaries also pinpointed its priorities and developmental requirements on this occasion making clear that all such social sectors need funds.
The World Bank mission while agreeing with viewpoints of provincial government proposed for constituting a working group comprising representatives of World Bank and provincial government to ensure continuity of strategies and provision of funds.
The senior minister while agreeing with the proposal announced names of administrative secretaries of various departments for the working group. It was decided that the group will meet before and after Ramadan for finalising funding matters.