ISLAMABAD, July 12 (APP): Finance Minister Senator Mohammad  Ishaq Dar Tuesday said that continuous growth in revenue collection during  the past three years has helped in reducing the fiscal deficit to almost half, from 8.8 % to 4.45 %.

He was addressing a function at Federal Board of  Revenue (FBR), organized to congratulate the FBR team for achieving the difficult revenue collection target of Rs 3404 billion during the fiscal year 2015-16.

Among others, the function was attended by Prime Minister’s Special  Assistant on Revenue Haroon Akhtar, Chairman FBR, Nisar Muhammad Khan and top management and officials of the Finance Ministry and the FBR.

Ishaq Dar said that when the revenue target of Rs 3104 billion was  being set many people thought it to be non-achievable, however he lauded the efforts of the FBR team for not only achieving the target but making surplus collection and achieving Rs 3412 billion.

He said that unlike the past practice, there was no downward revision  in growth target this year and the FBR with hardwork achieved the historic target.

He urged the FBR team to do more for achieving another difficult  target of Rs 3621 billion during the year 2016-17.

He said the revenue collection target for the current fiscal
year has been increased almost by 500 billion, which would be a historic growth.

He said that more work is needed to be done in information technology  sector and mitigating the leakages besides making the Sales Tax system a robust one.

He said that the government had to take difficult decision and make  reforms, adding it had to face resistance, but it did this to lead the country towards progress and development.

He said that the future of Pakistan was brilliant, adding there were  people who used to say that Pakistan would default in 2014, but with the grace of Allah Almighty, Pakistan’s rank scoring has not only gone up from negative to stable but is now ranked as positive by international institutions.

He said that there were times when the country had import bill for  only two months but now the foreign exchange reserves stand at $23 billion.

He said Pakistan is now recognized by the world, although some elements  are still critical of the economic policies.

He, however stressed the need for developing a consensus among all the  political parties on one economic agenda and urged that economy must not be politicized.

He said that materializing the dream of becoming 18th biggest economy  could be achieved in half duration till 2030, provided the economic policies continue with the same pace.

He said that the share of provinces from taxes has increased from  Rs 1200 billion to Rs 1900 billion during the last three years.

The Minister said that about 1200 megawatt electricity would be added  to the national transmission system by the end of 2018.

He said that the investment ratio to GDP has also increased from 12.6  percent to 15.6 percent which would further be enhanced to about 21 percent.

Earlier, speaking on the occasion, Special Assistant to Prime Minister  on Revenues, Haroon Akhtar said that the critics must observe that the revenue collection target has been achieved.

He said that the FBR would go behind the tax evaders adding that the  low tax ratio to GDP has more to do with mindset of people than the FBR’s performance.

He congratulated the FBR management for achieving the target with  collective efforts.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman FBR Nisar Muhammad Khan said that  the Finance Ministry created enabling environment and provided autonomy to FBR.

He said that the country’s economy has been taken around on growth  path and measures were taken to ensure inclusive growth.

He said the focus of the federal budget this year is on promotion of  exports, agriculture and industry.

He said that efforts would be made to remove loopholes in the tax  collection system besides introducing administrative changes and strengthening audit system.

ISLAMABAD, July 12 (APP): National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) has planned to educate prisoners in jails under a massive programme alongwith the skill development to make the prisoners useful citizens after their release from jails.

It was decided in the senior management meeting of NCHD presided by chairperson Senator Razina Alam Khan, said a press release issued on Tuesday.

The chairperson said that making convicts’ useful citizen and bringing them into the mainstream as respectable entities is the prime duty of the society and NCHD will not be failing in its duties.

She said that NCHD has already launched many successful programmes of education and contributed to literate 3.84 million adults in its 164,190 adult literacy centers established since inception.

Whereas, 5,949 feeder schools of Universal Primary Education are functional enrolling 392,869 children, in remote, rural and underprivileged areas of the country mainly to address the core issues of access to education and to meet Sustainable Development goal, she added.

Razina Alam said that students of feeder schools are on the strength of nearby government schools and same curriculum of the government school is adopted.

She expressed her concern over the fact that 57 million people in the country are illiterate while 24 million children never go to school.

The chairperson further deplored that out of 26 million children who are enrolled, only 33 percent reach the matriculation level.

While discussing the grim educational statistic in Pakistan, she said the primary net enrollment is 72 percent out of which 33 percent are dropouts.

Besides its regular programmes NCHD managed to have different educational/literacy and skill related projects through public-private schemes in collaboration with donors and provincial governments, she added.

Razina Alam said these projects dealt with issues such as elimination of poverty, access to education, establishment of formal and non formal basic education institutions, setting up of IT Centers, data collection activities and setting up of Skill Development Centers.

Briefly highlighting about these model projects and initiatives she said, NCHD established 16 Malala Feeder schools in 2013 for the earthquake hit areas in collaboration with I-Care.

She said that NCHD initiated an innovative strategy “Own a School Initiative” and had been able to mobilize funds for 25 Feeder Schools from different philanthropists and 1,254 children were enrolled in them.

Razina Alam said that 400 skill based literacy centers were established under BBSYDP project in sindh. 10, 000 females were provided sewing and stitching skill along with literacy skill.

She said that NCHD launched mainstreaming of Madaris project to provide formal education in Madrasas and had established 100 Feeder Schools in Madaris of AJK, FATA, GB and Islamabad.

The chairperson said that School Nutrition Programme and “Every Child in School Initiative” covering 10 districts of KPK is functional in collaboration with UNICEF.

In order to strengthen policy and planning for retention through intensive enrollment campaign and dropout prevention mechanism, she said that NCHD had carried out a number of activities to mobilize the community in seven districts of KPK and two agencies of FATA with financial assistance of UNICEF.

Every Child in School Initiative (ECISI) is a UNICEF supported initiative which is being implemented by School Education Department and NCHD-Punjab in 10 districts enrolling 51,559 out of school children.

ISLAMABAD, July 12 (APP): President Mamnoon Hussain on
Tuesday expressed his heartfelt condolences over the sad
demise of renowned broadcaster and former Managing Director of Pakistan Television Agha Nasir.

In a condolence message, the President prayed to Allah
Almighty for salvation of the departed soul and commiserated with the bereaved family.

The President said that Agha Nasir rendered great services for promotion of modern media, for which he would always be remembered.