LAHORE: Oxfam in Pakistan, Indus Consortium and Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) launched the District Layyah Shadow Budget 2018-19 worth Rs1.514 billion here at the Al-Razi Hall, University of the Punjab on Friday.
The launch event, held in collaboration with the Department of Economics, opened with a welcome speech by Asim Jaffry, Programme Manager, Oxfam, in which he outlined the objectives of the shadow budget initiative, as well as its focus on reducing inequalities in the areas of health, education and social welfare.
CPDI Programme Manager Mustafa Nazir Ahmad, who led the consultation and research process, made a detailed presentation on the District Layyah Shadow Budget 2018-19. After introducing the concept of ‘shadow budgeting’ to the participants, mostly comprising students and faculty of the Department of Economics, he delved at length on the participatory methodology adopted for the preparation of the shadow budget.
The proposed shadow budget demands of the Punjab government to allocate, in its Annual Development Programme 2018-19, an additional amount of Rs 881 million, Rs 444 million and Rs 151.600 million for the health, educating and social welfare sectors, in order to effectively reduce the increasing inequalities in District Layyah.
Others who spoke on the occasion included selected community members from Layyah; Dr Abdus Salam, Department of Economics; and Dr Muhammad Ismail Kumbar, Sindh Agriculture University, Tando Jam. Department of Economics Chairperson Dr Kulsoom Zulfiqar delivered the concluding remarks. The event formally concluded with vote of thanks by Indus Consortium National Coordinator Hussain Jarwar.
The first of its kind initiative at the district level in the history of Pakistan is being undertaken as part of Oxfam’s global ‘Even It Up’ campaign. The specific purpose of preparing Layyah’s shadow budget is to offer an alternative perspective on development expenditure on a pilot basis so the same can be replicated at the provincial level next year.–Press Release