The Planning Commission has directed all ministries and divisions to overhaul and streamline development projects under the Annual Development Programme (ADP), asking them to merge, trim and realign schemes with the government’s election manifesto and updated development priorities.
The directives, issued on 9 August by the Programme Division of the Planning Commission, set out an eight-point guideline requiring ministries to “rescope and repurpose” ongoing and unapproved projects for the FY2026-27 ADP.
The move comes amid growing concern over the size, duplication and slow implementation of development projects.
Recently, State Minister for Planning Junaid Saki said the government aims to streamline the ADP by reducing fragmentation, cutting redundant schemes and improving efficiency in public spending.
Cluster-based approach
Under the new directive, ministries must group similar projects into broader “programmes” or clusters, replacing scattered and overlapping initiatives with unified project structures.
Ongoing projects, along with those awaiting approval on the “green page”, will first be reorganised into thematic clusters. Components inconsistent with the government’s policy priorities will be dropped.
Revised projects may then absorb similar work from other ongoing schemes or compatible elements from pending proposals, subject to alignment with national plans.
The Planning Commission cited the water resources sector as an example, suggesting that embankment repair works nationwide could be merged into a single programme, while canal excavation and barrage construction projects could also be consolidated under unified initiatives.
Scope for redesign
The guideline allows ministries to revise project titles, objectives and scopes where necessary, provided the changes are made carefully and remain aligned with policy priorities.
Officials said the restructuring is expected to reduce duplication, improve coordination and ensure better utilisation of public funds.
Deadline anomaly
Ministries have been asked to submit revised, cluster-wise proposals to the Programme Division by 7 August — a deadline that precedes the issuance of the directive on 9 August, raising questions about the timeline.
Planning Commission officials, however, indicated that the deadline may be treated flexibly during implementation.
Review to fix project count
A committee led by the Member of the Physical Infrastructure Division will review the revised proposals and determine a “rational” number of projects for the upcoming ADP.
Based on the committee’s feedback, ministries will need to revise their proposals in the prescribed format and resubmit them through the usual approval process.
Donor-backed projects
The Commission has cautioned ministries to avoid conflicts with development partners while restructuring externally funded projects.
Any change affecting agreed terms must be cleared by the Economic Relations Division (ERD) and the concerned development partner. If consent is not obtained, the affected components must remain unchanged.
Projects or components aligned with the government’s priorities but not accommodated within revised schemes will need to be packaged as new proposals and placed on the “green page” for future consideration.
Wide-ranging directive
The instruction has been circulated to key government offices, including the Cabinet Division, Prime Minister’s Office and major ministries, signalling a broad-based effort to rationalise the development portfolio.
Officials said the initiative is part of a wider push to make the ADP more focused, realistic and implementation-friendly as the government seeks to accelerate economic recovery and improve public investment efficiency.