Public-private partnership: Prime Minister urges businessmen to assist government

Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Friday said the government had designed a comprehensive economic policy to boost business activities and generate employment opportunities in the country. The Prime Minister affirmed the business community as backbone of the country's prosperity and development, while talking to a delegation of Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), here at the PM House.
Pervez Ashraf agreed on the proposal of establishing an export processing zone in capital city, and hoping would generate revenues for the government besides employment possibilities. The Prime Minister said the government subsidizes consumers by Rs 3.08 for every unit of electricity consumed. He urged the businessmen to come forward and assist the government in public-private partnership to reduce the gap between supply and demand and to improve the system efficiency.
He directed the IESCO authorities to hold a meeting with the RCCI representatives to ensure an uninterrupted power supply. He agreed with the suggestion that tax procedure should be simplified and streamlined to encourage tax culture in the country. While, the President Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Manzar Khurshid Sheikh said businessmen were optimistic about the economic prospects, suggested the government to manage circular debt and provided them incentives who paid their taxes.
He urged the government to provide gas and electricity preferably to industry. The representatives of RCCI requested the Prime Minister to systemise a strategy to supply uninterrupted electricity for at least 12 hours. They also drew PM's attention towards the manipulation of electricity distribution and unjustifiable fuel adjustment charges.