PM Imran Khan chairs meeting of economic team

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has chaired a meeting of the economic team where he was briefed over the overall performance of the financial institutions for the improvement of the national economy, ARY News reported on Saturday.

The meeting was attended by federal ministers including Khusro Bakhtiar, Ali Zaidi, Omar Ayub, Hammad Azhar, advisers Hafeez Shaikh, Abdul Razak Dawood, Firdous Ashiq Awan, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman Shabbar Zaidi, Board of Investment (BoI) chairman and other senior officials.

The premier expresses pleasure over the improvement in the international ranking of Pakistan in World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index. He congratulated the economic team by terming the development as ‘major achievement’.

Read: Pakistan climbs 28 ranks in Ease of Doing Business Index

He said that the consistent organisation of the meetings with the economic team is for the betterment of the national economy and the economic indicators are being improved. PM Khan urged the economic team to prioritise enhancement of constructions and small businesses. He said that the government wants to run the economy by increasing employment.

PM Khan was briefed by the officials of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for pending 46,940 cases in banking courts. The officials apprised the premier that reformations are needed in the regulations to resolve the cases.

The participants of the meeting have also held consultations over the promotion of small and medium level industries. The premier was briefed that a board of governors comprising experts is being established while the chief executive officer of Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA) will be appointed by December this year. PM was informed that a three-year strategy plan will be approved by the authorities for the promotion of industries.

Read: PM Imran Khan chairs session of economic team

The premier ordered the economic team members to formulate plans for providing facilities to the local investors. He said that the value of rupee has stabilised and the stock market indicators are also going up.  PM directed authorities to envisage rules to simplifying the remittance for overseas Pakistanis.

Moreover, the federal government has imposed a ban on imports of fine wheat, whereas, PM Khan ordered to initiate crackdowns against those creating artificial crisis and hoarders. The premier issued directives to the provincial government in this regards. He directed that the provincial governments must ensure the provision of low-cost roti and flour to the nationals.