Billions allocated to MPs’ projects in the name of SDGs

ISLAMABAD: Over the last eight years, successive governments have allocated a staggering Rs346.5 billion from the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for parliamentarians’ projects under the Sustainable Development Goals Achievement Programme (SAP).

Sources reveal that Rs200 billion was spent on various parliamentary schemes during the tenures of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz government and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government.

During these eight years, Rs27.5 billion was utilised in the fiscal year 2016-17, Rs30 billion in 2017-18, Rs116 billion in 2022-23, and Rs27 billion in 2023-24, according to sources from HUM News English.

Similarly, the Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) government spent Rs146 billion on parliamentary schemes from 2018-19 to 2021-22.

The Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives asserts that the SDG Achievement Programme in Pakistan is a crucial initiative aimed at addressing the country’s developmental challenges. To fulfill these international commitments, the government allocates funds through the federal PSDP, with approval from the Annual Plan Coordination Committee and the National Economic Council.

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Under the SAP, schemes and their financing are processed in adherence to procedures approved by the federal cabinet and notified by the cabinet division. The government has established a steering committee, chaired by the Minister for Planning Commission, to oversee and implement the program.

The SAP focuses on implementing small-scale, grassroots-level development schemes in sectors such as health, education, clean drinking water, roads, sanitation, and other interventions, aiming to achieve SDGs and enhance the living standards of the general populace.