Punjab Poverty headcount falls 11.52pc

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=97547


Friday, February 22, 2008


LAHORE: The poverty headcount in Punjab had declined by about 11.52 per cent between 2002 and 2005 from 33 per cent to 21.48 per cent, Punjab Chief Economist Dr Shujaat claimed while speaking at the Planning and Development Department here on Thursday.

The province was poised to meet nearly all the Millennium Development Goals well before the 2015 target except for MMR which would be achieved up to 2018, proclaimed in a recently released Punjab Economic Report-2007.

He has said the province has made a significant progress in all aspects of the economy since the broad-based strategic thrust in Vision 2020.

He claimed that the progress had been made in the wake of growth in incomes as well as Punjab government’ efforts to provide social and welfare services to the masses.

The report was produced to the Planning and Development Department at the Punjab Economic Research Institute with the assistance of Bureau of Statistics and a team of Pakistani consultants.

The report also identified growth and development challenges that lie ahead to achieve the Vision 2020, he said.

The chief economist said due to concerted government efforts and planning, the provincial GDP at constant prices of 1999-00 had increased from Rs1,997,943 million in 1999-00 to Rs3,067,033 million in 2006-07 (54 per cent increase). Besides, a significant improvement in the enrolment rate, literacy level and access to safe water and health services was also achieved, he said.

He said that the report highlighted the driving contribution of the province ranging from 57 per cent to 63 per cent in almost all the sectors of the national economy especially in GDP, community and social services, wholesale and retail trade, agriculture, and industrial value-addition. Overall, Punjab contributed 58.5 per cent to the national GDP.

He said that services sector in the province remained by far the largest sector, contributing about 54 per cent to the gross provincial product.

Though the contribution of the agriculture in the GDP declined from 31 per cent in 1990-91 to 20.3 per cent in 2006/07, yet it was one of the major sectors of the economy only next to the industry.

Structural changes in the relative contribution of different sectors suggest reliance of the economy away from agriculture.

However, the agriculture in the province still employs about 44 per cent of the labour force with its absorption rate one of the highest. He said ‘Punjab Economic Report’ proclaimed that the Punjab government was taking several initiatives to optimize agricultural resource particularly in fertilizer as well as improved quality seed and promote farm mechanization, plant protection and access to agricultural inputs especially credit. Other potential areas to increase agriculture productivity and production included promotion of non-traditional agricultural products (e.g. off-season vegetables and livestock), he added.

Dr Shujat said the government had also started several special programmes to develop the province’s less developed areas with a view to reducing regional disparities and alleviating poverty.

Special attention was being focused on Barani (rain-fed) regions of Potohar, Cholistan, and Dera Ghazi Khan. These initiatives include drought management efforts, the Barani village development project, sustainable livelihoods in Barani areas project, Bahawalpur rural development project and Dera Ghazi Khan rural development project.

These initiatives are aimed at achieving rural development through income-generating employment activities, improvements in regional infrastructure, he pointed out.