Saudi Gazette A veteran leader of the Indian National Congress party and former minister from the southern state of Kerala, hailed the Kingdom's Vision 2030 as a very good road map for the fast growth of Saudi Arabia, with tapping of maximum potentials of this great nation blessed by God. Speaking to Saudi Gazette, Aryadan Muhammed hailed the Kingdom's visionary leadership for embarking on vigorous economic reforms that would bring about massive benefits in all spheres of life. "I highly appreciate and welcome the new economic policy and the Vision programs based on reducing dependence on oil and relying on non-oil resources. The Vision will bring about a remarkable and dramatic change and robust growth in the entire scenario apart from overcoming the difficulties due to the oil price fluctuations." [caption id="attachment_143129" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Aryadan Muhammed launches the logo of the Haj volunteer cell of OICC from various regions of the Kingdom by giving it to Alungal Mohammed. — Courtesy photo[/caption] Aryadan, who is well known as an efficient ruler with proven administrative proficiency while holding several portfolios in the state Cabinet, said that the Vision 2030 would be instrumental in catapulting the Kingdom's fast growth, catering to the needs of the young population which makes up over 60 percent of the population. "The Saudi government's efforts to close the budget gap between income and expenditure is a great initiative. I have seen statements of the finance minister outlining how to make revenue expenditure more prudent, and this is the correct path as it cuts down unnecessary expenditures," he said while noting the government's move to shelve those projects which are not economically feasible is a bold step in the right direction. According to reports, there are SR1.4 trillion worth projects under various phases of implementation and killing off nearly a third of these projects would benefit the budget for a few years. The government had ordered the concerned ministries and agencies to review unfinished infrastructure and development projects worth billions of dollars that are economically not feasible and not bringing about the desired benefits in the long run. The subsequent decision to abandon those projects for which less than 25 percent of the cost had spent is the most practical decision, Aryadan said while citing a bitter experience of the Kerala government in this regard. "The government of Kerala started the ambitious Kallada hydropower and irrigation project in 1961 and at that time its estimate cost was Rs.130 million. The successive governments have spent more than Rs.10 billion but the project is still only half way. Each year allocations were made in the general budget for the project but had not proved beneficial. Then a few years ago, the government had decided to abandon it. The new Saudi policy is to speed up economically feasible projects and drop those unfeasible projects is a highly commendable decision. [caption id="attachment_143160" align="alignright" width="300"] Aryadan Muhammed[/caption] "Because of this policy, the government could save SR80 billion last year and SR17 billion so far this year. It is a very good achievement and the best example of finance management. The Saudi government is focusing only on those projects that are useful to the state and boosting economic growth while avoiding unnecessary expenses in the backdrop of a decrease in income from oil, and this is what I have noticed within a few days after closely observing the Saudi economic developments," he said. The leader said the Vision 2030 will bring about huge bonanza to the world's largest oil producing country. "For a country like Saudi Arabia, the fluctuations in oil price is a problem as prices of oil depend on several factors especially political situations of countries around the world. But how to save the economy from the fluctuations in the oil price is very important and the new economic plan to diversify the country away from crude oil as the sole source of revenue is highly significant and praiseworthy." There is also a huge scope in the Kingdom for tourism, especially religious tourism, he noted. Aryadan who represented Nilambur constituency in the Kerala Assembly for a record eight times, and held several portfolios such as electricity, labor, tourism, forests, transport and railways, also spoke about the plan of the previous Kerala government to introduce its own 2030 Vision. "We can make remarkable headway if we adopt the 2030 Vision like programs. In Kerala, the United Democratic Government, led by Oommen Chandy, had started initial work for a 2030 Vision program during its last five-year tenure ended in 2016. Our focus in the plan was mainly tourism, agriculture, IT and pharmaceuticals, and as such we held several rounds of discussions and appointed an expert team prior to announcing the vision but could not proceed with it because of the government change," he said, while unveiling that the UDF had a plan to achieve self-reliance in power sector in the extremely energy-hungry state under the proposed 2030 Vision. Aryadan also drew attention to the power crisis in the state. "In Kerala, the energy resources are quite insufficient to meet the excessive demand for power. We rely mainly on hydroelectric power in the absence of raw materials for other conventional sources such as coal and diesel," he said, adding that the power load factor (PLF) or yield from non-conventional sources like solar and wind is quite lower while compared with water, coal and diesel. "As a minister of electricity, I tried efforts to produce 300 megawatts of this energy with giving subsidy to households. But it was found that the PLF achieved from solar is only 15-20 percent while compared to up to 65 percent from coal, diesel and water sources." "Visiting holy places a unique spiritual experience" Aryadan performed Umrah during his recent visit to the Kingdom. He said that it is a unique spiritual experience to visit the holy cities. "The visit to Makkah and Madinah give more mental peace. The visit to the holy cities will help believers to have discipline and self-control in their life." Aryadan said that in his address to expatriates, he emphasized the need to extend full-hearted support to the reforms being implemented by the government for the benefit of the country and its people. "More work and efforts are needed from our part to help the state to overcome any difficult economic situations. The authorities will appreciate our hard work and will help us to continue working here." "The government is giving expats full freedom and allow them to engage in different types of jobs and businesses. So you should be very loyal to the government as it is also essential for our betterment in the host country." He also welcomed the new awareness campaign, launched by the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, among both citizens and expats about the necessity of defending the nation as the joint responsibility of not only security forces but the people as well. During the visit, Aryadan met with several dignitaries and Indian community leaders in the Kingdom. They included eminent journalist and Managing Partner of Quartz Communications Khaled Almaeena, and Abeer Medical Group President Alungal Mohammed. He addressed the meetings organized by the branches of Overseas Indian Cultural Congress (OICC) in Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Makkah and Madinah. He also attended receptions hosted by the Kerala Muslim Cultural Center. In Jeddah, Aryadan launched the logo of the Haj volunteer cell of OICC from various regions of the Kingdom by giving it to Alungal Mohammed. K. M. Shareef Kunju, general secretary of global committee of OICC, K.T.A Muneer, president of OICC western regional committee, Mohammed Iqbal, chairman of the managing committee of the International Indian School and other dignitaries attended.
