Home Latest News Expensive Electricity Main Hurdle to Industrial Development: Imran Khan

Expensive Electricity Main Hurdle to Industrial Development: Imran Khan

by Staff Report

File photo of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Aamir Qureshi—AFP

Pakistan’s prime minister claims country headed in ‘right direction’ with increase in remittances, exports

Expensive electricity is the main hurdle to the development of small- and medium-sized industries, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday.

Chairing a meeting in Islamabad on the promotion of industries in Pakistan, he said that high power tariffs increase production costs, which make it harder to post any profits. The meeting also discussed other issues facing small- and medium-sized industries and deliberated on potential solutions.

The prime minister, according to Radio Pakistan, welcomed the various proposals discussed to promote industries and stressed upon making all-out efforts to fully utilize existing resources and capacities.

During the meeting, Khan also reiterated his resolve to promote the industrial process and utilize existing potential to its maximum output. He directed authorities concerned to finalize, at the earliest, suggestions to resolve the energy-related issues facing the industrial sector, adding that the country’s prosperity is dependent upon industrial development.

Citizens Portal

In a posting on Twitter, the prime minister praised the public’s utilization of the Pakistan Citizens Portal as a tool of empowerment for “the common citizen.” He announced that 3 million citizens had downloaded the web-based portal thus far, adding that of the 2.6 million complaints received, 2.4 million had been resolved. “[Of these] 591,000 have confirmed satisfaction,” he said, a percentage of 24.6 percent.

The prime minister urged everyone in Pakistan to use the portal for effective resolution of their complaints.

Economic progress

In another tweet, Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed Pakistan was heading in the right direction based on macroeconomic indicators.

“Great news for Pakistan. We are headed in right direction finally,” he said, over two years after coming into power. “Current Account was in surplus of $73 million during September, bringing surplus for first [fiscal] quarter to $792 million, compared to deficit of $1,492 million during same time last year,” he said. “Exports grew 29 percent and remittances grew 9 percent over previous month,” he added.

Prioritizing healthcare

The prime minister also chaired a meeting on the provision of quality healthcare to the people living in the federal capital, adding that delivering the highest caliber of health facilities to the public was a top priority of the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government.

He said the government was making all-out efforts to expand the scope of the National Health Card, a health insurance service already available in parts of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, so that a maximum number of people could avail this facility.

The prime minister also directed authorities concerned to intensify efforts to improve health facilities, especially in public-sector hospitals.

The meeting was briefed on progress on a proposal for setting up primary healthcare facilities at the federal capital’s Jhangi Syedian, Mauza Johad, G-13 and Golra areas. The prime minister was also apprised about the expansion of the Polyclinic Hospital, as well as progress on the construction of a 200-bed secondary care hospital at Sarai Kharbuza, a neighborhood of Islamabad.

Afghan visas

In a third tweet, the prime minister expressed grief over the deaths of 15 Afghans in a stampede outside the Pakistani consulate in Afghanistan, where thousands had gathered to apply for visas. “Deeply saddened by the tragic deaths and casualties in a stampede in Jalalabad of Afghans wanting to get Pakistani visas,” he said. “My condolences go to the victims’ families and prayers for early recovery of the injured,” he added.

The heavy rush was caused by the Pakistan Consulate resuming its visa operations after a pause of seven months necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic sweeping across the globe.

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