Sindh Highway
PPP to subsidise farm implements worth Rs 1230 million
KARACHI: The Sindh government will provide Rs1,230 million subsidy to growers on purchase or hiring of farm implements to promote mechanised farming in the province during 2014-*15.
The incentives include:
- Rs1,000m for assistance to farmers on purchase of 11,000 wheel type tractors on subsidised rates
- Rs100m subsidy on hiring of agriculture implements for mechanised farming
- Rs130m for provision of solar pumps to farmers on 50 per cent subsidy.
Agriculture Secretary Saqib Soomro told Dawn that the department would introduce for the first time in the province use of tubewells and pumps to be propelled with the help of solar energy. The concept already introduced in the Punjab would go a long way in minimising cost of electricity and would ensure uninterrupted supply of water even during the electricity failures.
He said that solar pumps and tubewells will be provided to farmers on 50pc of the purchase price.
The World Bank-assisted Rs8,746m Sindh agriculture growth project will be launched this year to improve productivity of minor crops and to provide market access to small and medium producers to major town markets and develop a value chain for increasing value-addition to minor crops, such as tomato and chillies to save large commodities of local produce from wastage.
The project aims at investing in knowledge and technology for farmers of minor crops and livestock.
Among the new projects to be implemented this fiscal year include:
- the establishment of a Rs200m cotton and sugarcane research institute at Ghotki, which has lately emerged as a cluster of sugar mills. There are already five research centres operating in the province to raise output of various crops.
- development of technology for production of hybrid seeds in the province at a cost of Rs500m
- launching of bio-fertiliser agriculture programme at a cost of Rs300m.
http://www.ppp.org.pk/news123/?p=8469
Pakistan Textile Mills association praises PPP's policies and hits out at Nawaz league's flop policies
LAHORE: It was something unusual: the powerful textile tycoons feeding a former president who is also head of a political party that lost the last elections to a “business-friendly” politician, and recalling
his five-year tenure during which the industry was able to increase its exports by almost $5 billion to $13.5-14 billion.
The occasion was the dinner hosted by All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) former chairman Gohar Ejaz at his home for Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.
Normally, the business community of Punjab is believed to be suspicious of the PPP because of its past. Many remember how the wholesale nationalisation of the industry and banking sector in 70s had deprived the industrialists of their wealth and forced them to start from a scratch and rebuild their businesses.
The PML-N and its leader are widely considered pro-business. But no longer. The business community’s preferences seem to be shifting fast.
“It was because of President Zardari’s pro-business policies and his personal interest in ensuring energy supplies to the industry in Punjab that created an enabling environment in the province that the industry was able to raise its exports,” said Gohar.
Between 1947 and 2008, the textile exports went up to $9-9.5 billion. But during the last term of the PPP, the industry’s exports surged 50pc.
“We, as business community, do not have any preference for or affiliation with any political party or politician. However, it will be unfair if we don’t give credit to Mr Zardari who helped the industry and the country earn more export revenue and save thousands of jobs,” Gohar said.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who had promised to mend the economy and resolve the growing energy crisis before his assuming of the office for a third term, is now seen by many businessmen as pursuing populist policies rather than taking the tough decisions.
“What is a leader if he cannot lead the nation?,” wondered a leading textile exporter. “Rather than taking long-term tough decisions required to mend the economy, the prime minister is now following the populist policies. It seems as if the ruling PML-N is in the election mode,” he said.
The energy shortage for the textile industry in Punjab has already cost the nation $1 billion during the five months between April and August 2014 on account of 24pc quantitative decrease in export of yarn and 40pc plunge in export of fabric. Apart from the upstream textile industry the value-added sector of Punjab had suffered a lot because of gas and power crunch.
The finishing industry in Punjab is working at a fraction of its capacity and the business is shifting to Karachi. “The gas and power shortages are causing a huge loss to the value-added industry in Punjab. Our business is being captured by the industry in Karachi or elsewhere in the region. It just because of the wrong government priorities,” said Ahmed Kamal, a former chairman of the Faisalabad-based All Pakistan Textile Exporters Association.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1136557/tex...te-for-zardari
PPP ~ CM Sindh lays foundation stone of Pakistan's largest 200-bed Paediatric Cardiac Surgery Unit at NICVD
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah laid the foundation stone for construction of Paediatric Cardiac Surgery Unit in National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) Karachi at a ceremony held here.
According to a handout issued here on Sunday, 200-bed Paediatric Cardiac Surgery Unit will be constructed with an estimated cost of Rs 1800 million with the full financial assistance of the Sindh Government. The project will be completed within two years.
Addressing on the occasion, the Chief Minister lauded the services of NICVD for catering the increasing demand of diagnosis, management and prevention of cardiovascular diseases not only of the province of Sindh but of entire Pakistan. He said that if this Institute comes under complete administrative control of Sindh government then the provincial government will take extraordinary measures for equipping this Institute with modern facilities beyond the expectations of people and medical fraternity.
He further said that education and health sectors were among the top most priority of the provincial government. “In spite of financial constraints and limited resources Sindh government has increased the budgetary allocation three fold for health sector”, he added.
He said that more than Rs 14 billion has been earmarked for health sector in the present financial year adding that the Sindh government was establishing new hospitals at district and taluka level while Rural Health Centres (RHCs), Basic Health Units (BHUs) and Dispensers were being equipped with required modern facilities so that people could be provided best possible medical services at their door steps.
He said though Sindh government has taken various steps to improve the health sector however there is always room for improvement which was being focused by provincial government.
Qaim Ali Shah said that the addition of a separate Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Unit in NICVD will be a milestone for treatment of heart related diseases among children and people of entire country will get benefitted.
Executive Director and Chairman Academic Faculty National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases Professor Khan Shah Zaman in his welcome address thanked the Chief Minister for his keen interest in the establishment of Paediatric Cardiac Surgery Unit in NICVD.
http://mediacellppp.wordpress.com/20...unit-at-nicvd/
PPP ~ Computerised revenue record system introduced in Sindh
