Islamabad, Sep 4: Regarding financing disparities in Public Sector Development Projects (PSDPs) under its purview, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has been in touch with the pertinent Federal Ministries.
“HEC authorities are optimistic that the funds will be released soon after discussions with the federal government,” a person with knowledge of the matter told Hum News under anonymity.
The insider added that the commission has not yet received the funding allotted for its PSDP projects for the fiscal year 2024–2025, despite correspondence between the HEC and the Ministries of Planning and Development and Finance. The timely completion of these projects may be hampered by this delay.
Additionally, sources disclosed that the HEC has not been able to cover the salaries of staff members engaged in a number of current development initiatives. These projects are now being worked on by more than 150 personnel around the commission.
HEC Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said, “We are awaiting the first release of PSDP project funds,” in an interview with Hum News. He went on to say that the government has promised the monies will arrive soon.
He was upbeat when he said, “The HEC is in constant communication with the Ministry of Planning and Finance, and we expect the issue to be resolved within days.” Dr. Ahmed went on to say that bureaucratic roadblocks were the reason behind the delay in the publication, which was first planned for last month. “We’re working to find a solution within the next week,” he continued.
Since education is the cornerstone of a country’s success and wealth, Dr. Ahmed emphasized the significance of these development projects for raising general educational standards.
Documents that are now available show that the HEC is in charge of 137 active development projects, each with a budget of Rs. 39,676 million for the 2024–2025 fiscal year.
Furthermore, for this year, the government has set out Rs. 21,438 million for 20 new development projects under the HEC.
The Dr. Ashfaq Ahmad Khan Centre in Basic Sciences, the Higher Education Development Programme of Pakistan (HEDP), the PAK-USAID Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Program (Phase-II), the Dr. AQ Khan Institute of Metallurgy and Emerging Sciences, and the upgrading of lab facilities at five top engineering universities (UET Peshawar, Taxila, Lahore, Khuzdar, and NED Karachi) are among the new initiatives aimed at enhancing higher education.
the establishment of the National Cyber Security Academy (NCSA), the establishment of the China-Pakistan Joint Research Centre (CPJR) on Earth Sciences at QAU, Islamabad, the establishment of the Institute of Science & Technology, Bahawalpur, the establishment of the National Centre of Nanotechnology,
the establishment of the National Centre of Quantum Computing, the establishment of the Manufacturing Technology, Automation, and Innovation Center, the establishment of the National Centre for Brand Development, the establishment of the National Growth Centre, the establishment of Bayt-ul-Hikmah at NUML,
the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme, the completion of the remaining work on the Chotagala Campus of the University of Poonch Rawalakot through a loan from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), the establishment of the National Institute of Intelligence and Security Studies (NIISS) at QAU, Islamabad, the Prime Minister’s Youth Internship Programme, and the construction of a Girls’ Hostel at the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design.
