ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Sunday that all the economic indicators increase in revenue collection, GDP growth and increase in exports indicate that the economy was moving in the right direction with record tax collection of over Rs 4.143 billion by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
The Prime Minister during his fourth interaction with the people over telephone stated that there would be considerable increase when the automation and track and trace system would be put in place. This would eventually have positive impact over decrease in debt burden, added the prime minister.
He recounted that the present government had inherited a difficult economy but now the difficult time was over. He said that no one was expecting that four percent GDP growth would be possible and the government policies difficult decision started paying off and the country started growing fast against all expectation.
He said that with the increase in GDP growth, the employment are opportunities would be created. He said that exports are increasing and there was a record production of crops including 8.1 percent increase in wheat crop, 13.6 percent in rice and 7.4 percent in maize.
The government would be establishing 900 storage facilities across the country to facilitate them to preserve their vegetables and fruits, he added.
To a question about normalization of relations with India, the prime minister said to think of normalization of relations with India at this time would amount to treason with the struggle of the people of Illegally India Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and if India revert to pre 5th August position, Pakistan can think of normalization of relations with it. He said that the same is the case of Palestine.
The prime minister said that the opposition which was declaring the present government as incompetent from the day one was confused over economic growth and started questioning the statistics.
The prime minister said that the government would construct 10 dams in the next ten years as reservoirs for water storage and then would ensure equitable distribution among the provinces and within the province. He said that share of all the provinces is depleting and he was surprised that the elementary system to gauge the distribution in the provinces has not been working in the country. The Prime Minister said telemetry system will be introduced to ensure fair distribution of water amongst the provinces.
Additionally, he said that there were issues of water distribution within the provinces as poor farmers were being deprived of water for their crops. The government would also provide ranger, if needed, to ensure that influential do not use poor farmers water share within the province.
The prime minister said that for the first time in the country a board is being established to categorize legal and illegal housing societies. The board would be established under the chairmanship of Justice Azmat Saeed, he added.
On the issue of Rawalpindi ring road, the Prime Minister said it would be constructed as per original plan and investigation would be completed soon with regard to addition of the loop.
He said that the no new tax would be imposed on the poor people in the budget for fiscal year 2021-22 and health cards would be expanded to all the districts of the Punjab by the end of this year. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has already provided health insurance cards to all the households whilst the same will be done in Punjab by the end of this year, he added. The prime minister also spoke on the issue of computerization of land record and stated it would be done soon in federal capital as well as in Punjab and KP. He said that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has been gathered for the vested interests and not for the people.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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