Shaukat underlines top priorities

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Friday that his government's priorities are to provide good governance, ensure stability in prices of essential commodities and make justice available to all.
The provincial governments should work like a team to achieve these targets, he said while addressing members of Sindh Cabinet, here at Governor House.
Sindh Governor, Dr Ishratul Ibad and Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim were also present on the occasion.
The Prime Minister said there has to be a paradigm shift in work culture; the government has to be result-oriented rather than activity-oriented. This will help in accomplishing the task of good governance, he added.
The political government has to work in co-ordination with civil servants, with focus on socio-economic development of the country, identifying the issues, prioritise them and make concerted efforts to resolve these issues.
Shaukat Aziz said Karachi has a great entrepreneurial potential that should be exploited by the provincial government.
"We have asked Asian Development Bank and World Bank to assist in mega projects of Karachi and Lahore. Now it is the responsibility of the provincial governments to take up these projects in co-ordination with them, the Prime Minister added.
He exhorted the Sindh cabinet to ensure the enforcement of the writ of government in the province to create an environment congenial for investments.
The government has decided to import wheat, Shaukat Aziz said, and because of that the prices are stable in the country despite its increase in the international market.
The Provincial governments, he emphasised, has to be vigilant on the prices of essential items so that they may not rise.
The Prime Minister said there has been an expansion in the industry in response to our policies and we have to give certain more incentives to the industrialists.
Shaukat Aziz agreed with one of the suggestions for involvement of provincial governments in the formulations of five-year plans by the Planning Commission and National Economic Council.
The provincial governments too should make such plans and determine priorities, he said and added that he believed in provincial autonomy but, it should be accompanied by good governance and merit.