Lahore: The first meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Asset Management Authority Punjab (AMAP) was held under the chairmanship of Punjab Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman. Provincial Minister for Agriculture Syed Muhammad Ashiq Hussain Shah, Minister for Transport and Mass Transit Bilal Akbar Khan, Provincial Minister for School Education Rana Sikandar Hayat, Minister for Irrigation Muhammad Kazim Pirzada, and senior officers of the relevant departments attended the meeting.
The meeting reviewed the available information regarding the identified government assets, their nature, and the proposed mechanism for their transfer to the management of AMAP. Addressing the meeting, Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said that government assets of Punjab were a public trust, and ensuring their effective, transparent and productive utilization was the responsibility of government. He said the establishment of Asset Management Authority aims to bring provincial assets under a structured and modern management system so that their actual economic potential and public utility could be enhanced.
Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said the management of government assets should not be viewed solely from the perspective of revenue generation. The fundamental objective was to safeguard the value, utility and public interest associated with these assets. He said the best possible use of each asset would be determined after taking into account its nature, existing utilization, legal status and economic potential.
The Finance Minister emphasized that all government assets should not be treated as cases of a similar nature; rather, each asset must be examined on the basis of its individual characteristics. He said that any decision regarding an asset would be taken after considering complete information, the requirements of the department concerned, applicable legal provisions and the broader public interest.
He said the Punjab government was pursuing reforms aimed at promoting the effective utilization of public resources, fiscal discipline and transparent governance. Effective management of provincial assets was an important component of this reform agenda. Through AMAP, a system was being developed to ensure improved recording, effective monitoring and transparent decision-making in the management of provincial assets.
Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said that better utilization of unused or underutilized government assets could create new economic opportunities for the province. However, he emphasized that every case would be taken forward strictly in accordance with the applicable laws, rules, regulations and transparent procedures.
