Punjab Economic Research Institute (PERI), Planning & Development Department (P&DD) hosted the launching ceremony of its twelve research reports at P&D Complex, Lahore. Chairman P&D Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan chaired the ceremony while Mian Muhammad Mushtaq, Additional Chief Secretary C&W, Members P&D Board Dr. Abid Bodla (ID), Dr. Shabana Haider (Health), Mukhtar Ahmad Naul (PSW), Sadaqat Hussain (Energy), Khalid Sultan (Education), Joint Chief Economist Dr. Amanullah, Managing Director ICRU Maleeha Bangash & senior officials of administrative departments, academicians, students, media and representatives from different research & social organizations attended the session.
Addressing the session, Chairman P&D Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan appreciated the efforts of the PERI research team for presenting a highly useful analysis. Particularly, the Chairman took note of the in-depth evaluation of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) and commented on the findings showcasing fiscal multiplier of ADP, impact of ADP on economic growth, development, and poverty reduction efforts of the province.
Addressing the “Road Scorecard” session Mian Muhammad Mushtaq, Additional Chief Secretary, C&W Department lauded the meticulous approach of consulting internationally recognized indices for the construction of the road index. The stakeholders appreciated the effort of PERI to design a well thought-out road prioritization mechanism. Specifically, Dr. Muhammad Abid Bodla Member (Infrastructure Development) highlighted the significance of the report that proposes a framework which can be easily implemented by the policymakers.
Earlier, Dr. Mumtaz Anwar Director Punjab Economic Research Institute P&DD, in his opening remarks, iterating the main goal of the economic research institute, that is to provide a strong conceptual and empirical basis for policy-making and to also better communicate policy to the markets and the public. Moreover, he informed the audience about PERI’s contribution in the development process which is being done through the carrying out of evidence based research, establishing databases, and organizing series of seminars and training workshops. He also mentioned the different research studies, conferences, policy briefs and other collaborative research activities being conducted by PERI. The launch comprised of individual presentation sessions of each of the 12 research reports. Different sessions were chaired by relevant Secretaries of line departments and Members of P&D Board. The reports encompass various sectors of Punjab’s economy, including agriculture, education, health, infrastructure, women development, and small scale industry, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the area of human resource (HR). The presentations highlighted key socio-economic issues prevalent in Punjab and, based on the research conducted, they offered in-depth and actionable insights to the stakeholders and policymakers.
The investigative study on fertilizer subsidies presented a comprehensive view and tackled an important issue of how subsidies influence the productivity of crops in Punjab, and suggested to devise an appropriate and focused mechanism. The reports on social sectors (education and health) offered timely evidence based implications. In particular, the educational attainment report encompassed all education levels, hence enabling the concerned authorities to aptly analyze the information at the local level, as the findings gave a more disaggregated evidence at the local level. The study on health sector brought to light the current situation of the citizens of Punjab and how various stakeholders can bring improvements through better health care facilities and at the same time by creating public awareness.
PERI has also explored the relatively new area of women development and launched a report highlighting the situational analysis of female factory workers in manufacturing sector. The session was chaired by Secretary, Women Development Department. The findings indicated that workers fear for their job security, there is little attention towards on-the-job trainings, and there is a lack of female-specific facilities at the workplace. The report elaborated on ways to improve the working condition, stressed on the stringent implementation of the labour laws, and the need to develop new laws pertaining to sub-contractors.
The presentations on the diverse research studies helped in communicating to the guests about the type of work done by PERI. By familiarizing its research with the major stakeholders and the general audience, the ceremony proved to be a learning opportunity for everyone. The ceremony concluded with Dr. Mumtaz Anwar (Director, PERI) thanking the participants for attending and sharing their valuable inputs. He reiterated PERI’s commitment to providing active research support to the planning and development process of the Government.