ISLAMABAD, November 11: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday expressed satisfaction on improvement in the country’s economic condition and revival of the business community’s confidence.
Chairing a meeting of his economic team, the prime minister emphasised that further consolidating the economic gains and facilitating investors and the business community is the government’s top priority.
He said the government is fixated on provision of all-out relief to the common man besides ensuring the investors’ facilitation and the ease of doing business.
Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar, Planning Minister Khusro Bakhtiar, Finance Advisor Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Commerce Advisor Abdul Razak Dawood, special assistants to prime minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Dr Sania Nishtar, Yousuf Baig Mirza and Nadeem Babar, Chairman Board of Investment Zubair Gilani, ex-finance minister Shaukat Tareen, FBR Chairman Shabbar Zaidi, Chairman of Naya Pakistan Housing Authority Lt. General (Retd) Anwar Ali Hyder and senior officers of the ministries attended the meeting.
About promotion of the minerals and mining sectors, Prime Minister Khan said the federal government will provide every possible assistance to the provinces to increase their capacity in the oil, gas and mineral sector.
He said a special cell is being set up at the Ministry of Food Security to bridge demand and supply of essential items and future estimates.
The premier was briefed on the economic condition, especially the promotion of foreign investment in the country, subsidies for large industrial units, implementation of decisions on duty free export of machinery for hospitals, increasing cooperation between the federation and the provinces in oil, gas and minerals sector and steps taken to rehabilitate the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM).
Advisor on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh informed the prime
minister about the overall situation of the national economy and improvement in economic indicators.
Special Assistant on Petroleum Nadeem Babar apprised the meeting that twelve new blocks will be put for auction by the 15th of the next month for exploration and production. The meeting was also informed of the progress on Tajikistan Afghanistan Pakistan Iran gas pipeline and establishment of PARCO Coastal Refinery. The meeting expressed satisfaction on stocks and availability of sugar in the country.-Agencies
