Pakistan Peoples Party Policies Under COVID-19 Vaccination, Education and Economy January 2021 Pakistan Peoples Party Policies Under COVID-19 Vaccination, Education and Economy January 2021
Pakistan Peoples Party Policies on Coronavirus Vaccination, Education and Economy Under Covid-19 January 2021
Contents
Foreword 5
Pakistan Peoples Party Vaccination Policy Under Covid-19 7
Pakistan Peoples Party Education Policy Under Covid-19 9
Pakistan Peoples Party Economic Policy Under Covid-19 11
Appendix A: List of the Participants 13
Pakistan Peoples Party Policies on Coronavirus Vaccination, Education and Economy Under Covid-19 January 2021
Forewordeword This document presents the policies of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Vaccination, Education and Economy under COVID-19. These policies were shared at the Working Session of the PPP Policy Wing held on Wednesday, January 05, 2021 in Islamabad. The participants of the session were nominated by the party Secretary General, Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari.
The session was attended by 11 party representatives. (List of Participants attached as Appendix A). In the session, Syed Naveed Qamar, MNA, Chairman National Assembly's Standing Committee on Commerce, and Member, Central Executive Committee, PPP, presented the PPP policies on Vaccination, Education and Economy under COVID-19. A general discussion was held on these policies by members of the PPP policy wing who joined the session. The policies were later shared with media by Syed Naveed Qamar.
The party presented a thorough and comprehensive policy document. A rigorous consultative process was observed within the party, where various party members shared their input on the policies prior to, and during the session.
Disclaimer Data and views contained in this document belong to PPP and do not necessarily reflect the views and perspective of PILDAT.
January 2021
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Pakistan Peoples Party Policies on Coronavirus Vaccination, Education and Economy Under Covid-19 January 2021
Pakistan Peoples Party Vaccination Policy under COVID-19
Syed Naveed Qamar, MNA, Chairperson National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce and Member Central Executive, PPP, presenting PPP policies on Vaccination, Education and Economy under COVID-19
COVID-19 has returned to the world with an unprecedented vengeance. The numbers, both in Pakistan and the world are surpassing previous records. A comprehensive policy to tackle both the health and economic effects is required to be taken by the government. At a time when the world is optimistically looking forward to positive effects of upcoming vaccine administration, any country lagging in this race is likely to pay the price in human casualties. A diversion of resources is urgently needed to cope with this menace.
Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination
1. Vaccine Acquisition: Anti-COVID-19 vaccine be acquired by the government from various sources around the world, both donations and outright purchases.
2. Vaccine Administration: Vaccines be administered universally and free for all by turning the previously designated quarantine centres into inoculation centres.
3. Special Task Forces: Special task forces be created at Federal, provincial and district levels to ensure that the inoculation work is implemented efficiently and transparently. The Federal Government should plan that who will get vaccine first and devise a priority list.
4. Domestic Manufacturing: Licenses be given out to pharmaceutical companies, individually or collectively, for manufacturing of the vaccine in Pakistan.
5. Capacity of Hospitals: Till the successful coverage of population through vaccination, capacities in hospitals be enhanced in hospitals all over the country to cope with the situation with particular emphasis on areas with high incidence of the virus.
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Pakistan Peoples Party Policies on Coronavirus Vaccination, Education and Economy Under Covid-19 January 2021
Pakistan Peoples Party Education Policy under COVID-19
Mr. Haider Zaman Qureshi, Central Finance Secretary, PPP, commenting on PPP's policies
1. Opening of Schools: Schools should be opened. In addition, online schooling systems to be fortified and teacher training should be encouraged to adapt to the new reality.
2. Internet: Connectivity and internet access to be spread to all areas of the country in order to give equal opportunity to students and not further enhance the rich/poor and urban/rural divide. Universal Service Fund (USF) funds be used to rapidly roll out 4G access countrywide.
3. Implementation of SOPs: Effort be made to keep educational institutions to be least affected by COVID-19 lockdowns. Special Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) should be implemented to avoid overcrowding in schools, spreading out of classes throughout the day and use of outdoor classes should also be encouraged.
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Pakistan Peoples Party Policies on Coronavirus Vaccination, Education and Economy Under Covid-19 January 2021
Pakistan Peoples Party Economic Policy under COVID-19
Syeda Yasmeen Safdar, Former Divisional President, PPP Bannu, expressing her views on the party policies
1. Health Budget: Development budgets of health departments in federal, provincial and local governments be increased by diverting funds from other non-emergency activities to save lives and livelihoods.
2. Lockdown: Intermittent curfews and lockdowns be used as tools to curb the rapid spread of the virus while minimising the disruptive effect on economic activity.
3. Benazir Income Support Programme: As the poverty levels have gone up due to COVID-19 and economic policy decisions of this government, the scope of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) should be doubled to include more people. The higher scorecard number (regarding poverty) should be used as a benchmark so that more people are included. Disbursement methods should also be improved by encouraging digital money transfers rather than through banks; recipients should be able to draw monies at their own convenience rather than in large crowds that can result in an increased spread of the virus.
4. Surveys: The latest surveys to identify destitute population be finalised, and the lists be culled from new surveys rather than relying on old ones.
5. Agriculture: Agriculture should be made the backbone of the economy. Growth in this sector will not only tackle rural poverty but lead to import substitution and food security. This indigenously led growth will create employment in the most impoverished parts of the country. Particular emphasis should be placed on enhancing credit to new growers to increase productivity.
6. Overseas Employment: As economies around the world start improving, efforts be made by government to encourage overseas employment, particularly for those that have lost their jobs in those countries recently.
7. Interest Rates: Interest rates should be cut further to encourage rebooting of economy particularly through the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) sector.
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Pakistan Peoples Party Policies on Coronavirus Vaccination, Education and Economy Under Covid-19 January 2021
Appendix A: List of the Participants
The names have been arranged alphabetically by first name.
Mode of Designation Sr. No. Name Participation
1 Barrister Amir Hasan Member, Central Election Cell, PPP In-person
2 Mr. Haider Zaman Qureshi Central Secretary Fiance, PPP In-person
President, PPP AJK, Member Central In-person 3 Ch. Latif Akbar Executive Committee, PPP
4 Mr. Nadeem Asghar Kaira Former Tehsil Nazim Kharian In-person
5 Dr. Nafisha Shah Member National Assembly, PPP Online Member National Assembly, Member Central Syed Naveed Qamar In-person 6 Executive Committee, PPP
7 Ms. Palwasha Khan Deputy Information Secretary of PPP Online
8 Senator Rukhsana Zuberi Member, Central Executive Committee, PPP In-person
District President, Women Wing, Rawalpindi, 9 Ms. Sumera Gul In-person PPP 10 Mr. Tasneem Qureshi Former Member National Assembly Online
11 Syeda Yasmeen Safdar Former Divisional President, PPP Bannu In-person
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