News
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Country needs huge investment in energy sector: PM* Gilani asks Ministry of Food and Agriculture to work out foolproof strategy to enhance exports of agricultural products
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday urged the ministries to work in an institutionalised manner and enhance coordination to achieve optimal results despite resource constraints.
Gilani said Pakistan needed large investment in the energy sector. He asked the ministries of Food and Agriculture, and Water and Power to finalise operational plans and identify potential areas of cooperation with the US to reap maximum benefit through this cooperation.
Chairing a high-level preparatory meeting in connection with the forthcoming Pakistan-US Strategic Dialogue at the PM’s Secretariat, the prime minister said energy and food security were key sectors for which Pakistan could seek the US assistance.
Exports: He asked the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to work out a foolproof strategy to enhance exports of agricultural products.
The prime minister reiterated his direction to the Ministry of Agriculture to install 1,100 tube wells in Balochistan being offered under the US agriculture support programme for the uplift of agricultural production in the province. Talking to officials of the Ministry of Water and Power, he said a clear mechanism ought to be worked out in advance through consultation with the Balochistan administration for collection of electricity charges from the tube wells to be installed under this scheme.
Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh apprised the prime minister that potential areas of cooperation with the US have already been identified in the fields of food, agriculture, livestock, water and power, IT, education, social sector and public diplomacy.
Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf gave a detailed account of the projects identified in the energy sector for cooperation with the US.
The minister said out of the pledged 32 medium and small dams, the operational plans for construction of first scheme of 12 dams, three each in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan, and two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, had been prepared.
He also apprised the prime minister of the progress of the negotiations with the US about thermal, wind power projects and revamping/rehabilitation of the energy sector projects.
He said preparatory work on the installation of two plants gifted by the UAE in Faisalabad and Multan to cater for the needs of the textile industry has also been finalised.
Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Nazar Muhammad Gondal gave a detailed presentation both on bilateral (Pakistan and the US) and trilateral (Pakistan, the US and Afghanistan) cooperation programmes.
He said his ministry was seeking the US government’s cooperation in the fields of development of wheat with special focus on UG-99 research, development of a cotton variety resistant to cotton leaf curl virus, livestock production development with special focus on foot and mouth disease, high efficiency irrigation system, watershed management, small and medium dams and re-invigoration of extension system to enhance agriculture production and achieve food self sufficiency.
He also informed the prime minister that Pakistan had offered to join the US on President Barack Obama’s programme for global food Security.
The meeting was also attended by the Finance, Food and Agriculture, Water and Power secretaries as well as the principal secretary to the prime minister.
Later, talking to Ambassador of Palestine Hazem Hussain Abu Shanab at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, Gilani said Pakistan would continue to extend diplomatic, moral and material assistance to the Palestinian people.
The government of Pakistan has and always will support the restitution of the rights of Palestinian people for a fully independent sovereign state,” he said. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk