ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Khusro Bakhtiar told the Senate that during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to China in November last year, the governments of Pakistan and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in Poverty Reduction and Social Development.
Providing details of agreement recently signed by the government with China for poverty alleviation in the Country, the minister said that the MoU envisages cooperation in knowledge sharing and experience exchanges, cooperation in research, capacity building of government officials and poverty reduction practitioners, launching of community based development pilot projects in less developed area and agricultural industrialization led poverty reduction pilot projects in underdeveloped agricultural area.
Khusro Bakhtiar also told that Pakistan and China established a socioeconomic development Joint Working Group. The group will ensure implementation of projects in following six sectors;
- Agriculture
- Education
- Healthcare
- Poverty Alleviation
- Water Supply Management
- Vocational Training
To a question, the minister apprised the House that it is not true that poverty has increased from 30% to 40% in the Country in recent years. He told that in fact, poverty headcount, based on National Poverty line using Cost of Basic Needs (CBN) method has declined from 36.8% in 201011 to 24.3% in 2015-16.
Tags: Poverty alleviation
