ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that providing maximum relief to the people and economic development will be included in the priorities of the federal government in the budget for the upcoming financial year 2023-24.
Presiding over a meeting to consider the budget proposals for the industrial sector, the Prime Minister said that the federal budget will include measures to increase exports along with industrial development. He said that he will personally ensure that the upcoming proposals for the industrial sector are included in the budget.
He directed the authorities concerned to remove all unnecessary obstacles in the growth of small, medium and large industrial production. He told the meeting that the previous government had deliberately hindered investment and industrial development in the country.
The previous government violated the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to save its rule, which cost 220 million Pakistanis. He said that being a resilient nation, Pakistan is gradually coming out of economic difficulties.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the government, the entire nation, industrialists and the business community are working hard to improve the economic situation of the country. He said miscreants had harmed the country through “long or short” marches and sit-ins during the past year.
He also told the meeting that the events of May 9 not only gave rise to violence but also caused huge economic loss to the country. He said that the government would help reduce the production cost of industries by providing low cost energy along with arranging easy bank loans for small scale industries.
Shahbaz Sharif directed his adviser Ahad Cheema to finalize the proposals of industrial sectors and ensure their inclusion in the budget. Prominent industrialists and investors from all sectors participated in the meeting through video link.
Apart from this, Federal Ministers Ishaq Dar, Syed Naveed Qamar, Ahsan Iqbal, Makhdoom Murtaza Mehmood, Engineer Khurram Dastgir, Minister of State Dr. Mossadegh Malik, Advisor Ahad Cheema, SAPMs Tariq Bajwa and Jahanzeb Khan, MNA Qaiser Sheikh, Governor Chairman of State Bank and FBR and others also attended. The concerned senior officers participated in the meeting.
The ministries of commerce and industrial production presented the budget proposals received from various sectors. Apart from this, industrialists and investors presented their proposals for the budget.
The Prime Minister directed the concerned authorities to do detailed work on the proposals and submit a report to him.
