Govt committed to achieving SDGs: Ayesha

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ISLAMABAD
Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Dr Ayesha Ghaus has reiterated that the government is committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Talking to Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme, Knut Ostby on Friday, Dr Ayesha Ghaus said, “The SDGs are our own commitment to the people of Pakistan for ensuring their betterment and prosperity.”
The minister said the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising global commodity prices have shrunk the fiscal space for developing countries to allocate adequate resources for sustainable development. She said therefore, the need for involvement of the private sector to bridge the financing gap for sustainable development is critical to achieve the SDGs.
Knut Ostby briefed the Minister on the ongoing UNDP portfolio and shared the findings of the report on leveraging private investment for Pakistan’s sustainable development. The report offers a strategic partnership model for raising global institutional impact investments worth two billion dollars in the next three years in Pakistan.
He stated that overall Pakistan offers private investment opportunities of $100 billion in sectors of clean and green environment, transport and logistics, technology and communication, health and education.
The minister appreciated the key role of UNDP as development partner in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Dr Pasha stated that human capital investments including priority sectors like gender equality, population planning, education, nutrition and water will bring benefits for the sustainable development.
She assured full support of the Ministry of Finance for the proposed SDGs Project Development Facility to leverage private capital. She appreciated the work being done by the UNDP on SDGs Investment Map for Pakistan and encouraged UNDP to complete it at the earliest.