Home Latest News Upcoming Budget Should Focus on Accelerating Economic Activities: Imran Khan

Upcoming Budget Should Focus on Accelerating Economic Activities: Imran Khan

by Staff Report

Courtesy PID

Pakistan’s prime minister urges Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces to cut non-development spending, prioritize job generation

The proposed budget of the federal government for fiscal year 2020-21 should prioritize projects that generate employment and accelerate the economy, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Sunday, as he urged provincial governments to cut non-development spending, and increase development expenditures.

Chairing a meeting of senior lawmakers in Islamabad, the prime minister reviewed the proposed budgets of the federal government, and the Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governments, for the upcoming fiscal year. He told the economic teams of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mehmood Khan that in light of the exceptional circumstances brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, their budget should prioritize job creation, especially in large urban areas that had witnessed devastating effects from the coronavirus outbreak.

To meet national and provincial development needs, and ensure the private sector’s participation in development projects, the private sector should be facilitated in setting up more public-private partnerships, said the prime minister. He also directed the provincial governments to pay special attention to the development of the industrial and agriculture sectors.

Khan said that provincial governments should follow the pattern of the federal government and pay special attention to reducing unnecessary government expenditures. He also directed the provincial governments to pay special attention to upgrading their health sector so the public could have access to quality healthcare facilities.

In addition to the prime minister, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Information Minister Shibli Faraz, Industries Minister Hammad Azhar, Planning Minister Asad Umar, advisers to the P.M. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Abdul Razzaq Dawood, Ishrat Hussain and Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari also participated in the meeting.

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