- Claims IMF has acknowledged the deficit report concerning Punjab is incorrect, and will soon be updated on its website
LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari on Friday strongly rejected the reports that the provincial government had faced financial deficit in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, releasing official document to clarify the situation.
“IMF has acknowledged that the deficit report concerning Punjab is incorrect, and it will soon be updated on the IMF’s website”, the Punjab Information Minister claimed in a statement issued here on Friday.
Azma Bokhari asserted that the Punjab government had already recorded a surplus of Rs40 billion in the first quarter, boasting that by the end of this year, the province will have a surplus of Rs680 billion.
“The IMF has confirmed this,” she claimed, noting that Punjab province recorded a surplus of Rs40 billion for the first quarter and that the province has an investment of Rs200 billion.
During a meeting, the IMF accepted that the deficit reports regarding Punjab were erroneous and would be corrected.
The Information Minister also condemned the spreading of a false propaganda about the Punjab government facing deficit. She highlighted that under CM Maryam Nawaz’s leadership, for the first time since 1952, overdue wheat debt had been cleared.
She added that Punjab’s debt has seen a significant reduction since Maryam Nawaz Sharif has became the Chief Minister. She urged the media to avoid spreading fabricated news.
Free Medicines Project Benefits 10,000 Patients in 180 days
Meanwhile, the Punjab government said that provision of free medicines has benefitted over 10,000 patients in 180 days for the first time in history. Under CM Punjab’s Free Medicines Home Delivery Project, provision of medicines to hepatitis and TB patients at their doorstep is continued in effective manner.
According to statistics of the Health Department, free medicines have been provided to more than 5700 hepatitis patients, while more than 4,200 TB patients received medicines at their doorstep. Free medicines project launched in the first week of May is going on successfully.
The Chief Minister said, “Medicines free home delivery project relieved patients from facing inconvenience to frequently visit hospitals. Free Medicines home delivery project is also reducing public rush in hospitals.”
