Economic Crises

(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News -3rd Sep,2016) inconsistency of the policies had reasoned the economic crises but the government was making efforts to regain the lost status of national economy. He said the coal reservoirs in Thar should have been exploited some five decades ago but the present government had launched work on coal-based power plants.

He said peace situation was improving in Karachi and hoped that erstwhile economic hub of the country would regain its lost grandeur. The Prime Minister said terrorism was not a minor issue rather the officers and the personnel of army, police and security institutions had sacrificed their lives in fighting the menace.

However, even now the terrorists try to hit the soft targets and expressed condolences over the loss of lives in Friday's suicide blast in Mardan. He said besides carrying out infrastructural or other development projects the government was determined to uplift the living standard of the common man by providing clean drinking water, and extending standard health and education facilities.

He said the Federal cabinet had already approved a project in this regard that would also provide for improving sanitation facilities and increase the number of girls' schools and small scale hospitals.

The government has already started working on the establishment of another 40 state of the art hospitals across the country, he added. He said to avoid over-billing, the mobile metering of electricity would be expanded countrywide as the same had been introduced in IESCO, KEPCO and FESCO.

To a suggestion by Mian Idrees, he said the full court bench had already turned down the petition of the Punjab government for establishment of a high court bench in Faisalabad. In his welcome address, CEO SCIL Mian Idrees lauded the government's efforts for revival of national economy and said foreign reserves had touched $23 billion mark from $11 billion in 2013.

Tax revenue increased from Rs 2903 billion in 2013 to Rs 3104 billion now and number of Islamic banks had also increased by 53 percent during last three years, he added. He said SCIL would have 15 megawatts surplus electricity that should either be purchased by WAPDA or the company be allowed to distribute it to its associate companies in the surrounding.

He requested the government to launch work on new Faisalabad airport besides seeking government's support for establishment of Fatima university. He also presented a Jinnah Cap and a souvenir to the prime minister.

Later, the prime minister also presented souvenirs to Governor Punjab Rafiq Rajwana, Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir, Chairman FPCCI Abdur Rauf Alam and the Chinese company that executed the project of power plant. APP/iar/mub