ISLAMABAD: Information and Broadcasting Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Friday that the federal government has earmarked Rs 1 billion in the budget for the financial year 2023-24 for health insurance for journalists in media activity and workers.
“Pleased to announce that an allocation has been made in the budget for health insurance for working journalists for the first time,” the minister said in a tweet.
She expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for allocating funds for the “very important measure”.
“As Minister of Information, it was one of my goals to be able to organize this facility for working journalists, especially in these difficult times,” the minister remarked.
Speaking to the media, she said the federal budget for fiscal year 2023-24 would restart the path of progress and development in the country which had seen four years of economic destruction, unemployment, “chaos and anarchy during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Mandate of the Insaf (PTI) government.
Marriyum said the government has pursued the same vision for the economy which was implemented in 2013 to bring development and prosperity.
Now economic stability has returned thanks to the cautious policies of the coalition government, she added.
A mega relief package was planned for agriculture, the IT sector and youth in the budget, she said while reiterating there was “good news” for officials.
She said incentives have been given to the information technology sector to create job opportunities for young people and empower them to grow economically.
A comprehensive relief package has also been announced for the agricultural sector, including farmers, she added.
The Minister said that substantial allocations have been made for the promotion of education by improving its general level and quality.
For the first time, the health insurance scheme was announced for working journalists and artists, she noted.
The minister said the previous government also presented budgets during their four-year tenure that lacked vision for the progress and development of the country.
It seemed that the sole objective of the previous PTI government was to break social cohesion in the country and that economic stabilization was not part of its program.
Marriyum said the previous government was fully exposed when it suspended the IMF program after its flagrant violations.
When asked, she said four years of “widespread incompetence, widespread corruption and severe economic deterioration” had left the nation deeply disappointed.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023