Lahore: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved the Punjab Human Capital Investment Project (PHCIP) – worth USD 330 million – to improve the province’s Human Development Index (HDI) ranking, a news source reported.
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA) would contribute USD 200 million, and the Punjab government would provide a total funding of USD 130 million, the publication stated.
The ECNEC meeting was attended by Planning & Development (P&D) Board Secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch and Punjab Social Protection Authority (PSPA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Shahinshah Faisal Azim, among other senior officials.
The PHCIP project is aimed at improving the access to health services and enable the social and economic inclusion of the vulnerable and marginalised families in the selected 11 districts of Punjab. It was informed that the project would be initiated in a phased manner – across five years. Reportedly, the districts would be selected based on various criteria for poverty, including living conditions, health, and education among others.
