CDWP proposes projects worth Rs345.62 billion to Ecnec for approval

ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Monday recommended two projects worth Rs345.62 billion to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for further consideration.

The CDWP meeting was presided over by Planning Commission deputy chairman Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan.

A project related to health was presented in the meeting, “Implementation of Universal Health Coverage under health insurance programme in Punjab” worth Rs332.85 billion was recommended to Ecnec for further consideration.

The main objective of the programme includes insurance scheme coverage for 100 per cent population of Punjab for its permanent residents as per the computerised national identity card (CNIC) issued by the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra). The scheme will provide cashless in-patient healthcare secondary and priority care services through an open enrolment policy.

There is no limit to family size. The health insurance programme is a hospitalisation scheme mainly; daycare admission will also be covered in the programme. The household members of the family will be able to avail health cover, including access to the secondary care hospitalisation component with maternity benefits; a priority care component is limited and the excess of loss coverage is on top of secondary healthcare coverage.

An Rs12.78 billion project related to the Higher Education Commission, “Higher Education Development in Pakistan (HEDP), Revised”, was also presented in the meeting and recommenced to the Ecnec for further approval.

The period of completion and expected date of completion is 60 months. The main objective of the project is to focus on low and equitable participation for students from disadvantaged backgrounds; poor quality of teaching and research conditions, including inadequate and irrelevant research, and limited links between HEIs and the industrial and services sectors of the economy; below-par institutional governance and management, especially the lack of the Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS), which severely complicates long-term sectoral and institutional planning, monitoring, and accountability.

These challenges are particularly exacerbated for affiliated colleges; technical assistance, higher education policy development and capacity-building through partnerships, regulation and funding of higher education sector and project management monitoring and evaluation, and higher education data repository and data-driven services.

The Planning Commission deputy chairman directed all the relevant officials to ensure the completion of the projects within the timelines, as the project is crucial for the socioeconomic wellbeing of the people of Pakistan.

Planning secretary Hamid Yaqoob Sheikh, senior officials from the Planning Commission and the federal ministries/divisions also participated in the meeting, while representatives from the provincial governments participate through video-link.