File photo of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Aamir Qureshi—AFP
In meeting at Prime Minister’s House, PTI spokespersons briefed on how upcoming budget aims at strengthening economy by focusing on development
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday directed spokespersons of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to focus on informing the public about the benefits of the government’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, stressing that “misunderstandings” being propagated by some forces should be dismissed.
Chairing a meeting of spokespersons, federal ministers, and special assistants at Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad, he reiterated his claims of the economy now shifting from stabilization to growth. “I am satisfied because Pakistan’s economy is not only stable but is moving in the right direction,” he was quoted as saying. He termed the proposed budget “development oriented,” adding that it would help the government focus on uplifting the economy to improve the condition of the common man.
The prime minister noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had severely impacted the global economy, but even in this situation, Pakistan had managed to achieve economic stability. “This development-oriented budget is not only aimed at further strengthening the economy, but also promoting important sectors like agriculture, industry and housing,” he said.
He detailed some of the steps undertaken by the incumbent government to benefit the citizenry, including the Kamyab Jawan Program, health cards and the 10-Billion Tree Tsunami. He said the government was also focusing on promoting science and technology and poverty alleviation as well as creating employment opportunities to effectively check the challenges faced by the country. He stressed the government had presented a budget that was a “ray of hope” for the common man.
The meeting’s participants congratulated the prime minister and the government’s economic team for presenting a “balanced and people-friendly” budget, claiming it had been appreciated by all segments of society.
New subsidies
Also on Monday, the prime minister presided over a briefing on the government’s new system of targeted subsidies and vowed to ensure that the deprived segments of society were able to secure essential commodities with minimal resources.
Attended by Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, SAPMs Sania Nishtar, Waqar Masood, Shahbaz Gill, National Bank of Pakistan President Arif Usmani and other relevant officers, the meeting was directed to ensure the new subsidy system was finalized at the earliest for a formal launch next month.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Nishtar said 92 percent of the Ehsaas Survey had been completed already, and the remaining work would be finished by the end of June. Meanwhile, the NBP president updated the meeting on the salient features of the proposed system. He said that the targeted subsidy system aimed at providing financial assistance to millions of impoverished families to help them buy essential items.
Appreciating the efforts undertaken to devise the system, Khan said the provision of government subsidy to the rich and poor alike was not a “wastage of public resources.”