Mr. Omar Ayub Khan, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs held a meeting with the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to discuss development priorities of the provincial government and explore options for enhancing public investment. The meeting was attended by Mr. Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra, Finance Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mr. Noor Ahmed, Secretary EAD, Mr. Shakeel Qadir Khan, Additional Chief Secretary (Development) of GoKP and other senior officials.

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs commended the performance of ongoing foreign-funded projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and showed his satisfaction on the pace of project implementation. Minister for Economic Affairs also asked the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to identify their development priorities and financing needs for pipeline projects.

During the meeting, both sides emphasized that improved irrigation system, farm management, cold storage and farm to market roads are vital to ensure uninterrupted supply chain & food security. Furthermore, it helps to create more employment opportunities and alleviate poverty in the rural areas. It was also highlighted that domestic connectivity is key to unlock the economic potential of the rural and remote areas. Therefore, there in a strong need to improve the road network, especially farm to market roads, in the province.

It was also highlighted that the growth of urban population in both large cities and smaller municipalities is putting huge pressure on urban services and demands for improved municipal services to address the environmental and socioeconomic challenges. In order to make the cities more vibrant, there is need to make more investments in urban infrastructure including water supply, sanitation, waste management and streets.

Both the sides agreed to work closely, identify provincial priorities and prepare projects on fast track basis. The Minister for Economic Affairs assured of his full support for any kind of technical and financial support in this regard.