LAHORE - Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha will be the first ever female Finance Minister of Punjab who is going to present the provincial budget for the fiscal year 2015-16 on June 12. Last year, the budget was presented by Mujtaba Shujaur Rahman.
Dr Ayesha who is known as expert in financial matters, has represented Punjab Assembly Standing committee and others formed on the government side to deal with fiscal and development projects particularly those run by the cooperation of friendly country Turkey.
Talking to this scribe on some main features of the upcoming budget, Ayesha affirmed the budget would base on theme set in the current year budget that it is achievement of the growth rate of up to eight percent by pushing up both industrial and agriculture sector. The budget would definitely be pro-poor with focus on empowerment of youth and women with employment schemes for them, she added.
Overcoming energy crisis and ensuring law and order and measures for security of the people would again be the priority of the government in the upcoming budget, whose volume would definitely be more than the last year budget of over one trillion rupees, she further said.
“Without law and order, it is hard to attract investment,” Dr Ayesha said while adding the social sector development and programme for rural development, health and education would again be given due attention in the next budget.