ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has inaugurated the first-ever facility to produce cardiac stents, N-Ovative health technology - saying that production of cardiac stents would save foreign exchange reserves, and create opportunity to treat cardiac patients at reduced cost.

Speaking after inaugurating the facility, the prime minister expressed pleasure for producing stents with huge price differential that would save the country, foreign exchange.

The prime minister said after every short period, the country had to go the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for balance of payment support, following depletion of foreign exchange reserves that consequently put pressure on local currency for devaluation.

He said easy route to give NRO to those who have plundered the nation could be taken but this would be the path of destruction.

Betterment requires difficult decisions, he added, and not, compromise.

The prime minister said devaluation brings inflation and prices hike in the country as the country imports pulses, palm oil and oil etc.

We will continue to go the IMF, if import substitution was not done, he added.

The prime minister said in '60s, Pakistan's direction was right but in '70s a different mindset came in the politics.

He said so far the country had not come out from the mindset of the '70s. He further stated that there was no linkage between the universities and the industry.

He said no country could develop by selling cotton as development lied in value addition. The prime minister said the entire government department should support wealth creation.

The prime minister said overseas Pakistanis were asset of the country and they could benefit the country immensely.

He said linkage with China was also a very big incentive. Overseas Pakistan could give expertise to the country in every field, he added.

The premier said there is a mindset in the government departments and institutions, and absence of coordination with respect to destination and coordination has been fractured, the reason behind this is that there is no clarity without vision, and no country could progress with massive imports and little exports.

The prime minister said government's first priority, after the betterment in fiscal situation would be on knowledge economy. He also emphasized on self-belief that everything can be produced in the country.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020