ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday approved the re-constitution of the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) to recommend macroeconomic stabilization measures and carry forward the reform agenda for sustained economic growth.

The EAC with 13 private members and 12 official members would be headed by the Prime Minister himself and in the absence of Prime Minister, Minister for Finance and Revenue, who is Vice Chairman of the EAC, will chair the meeting. The EAC comprises private sector members as well as official members.

The EAC would have an advisory and capacity enhancement relationship with the government and it will engage with economic institutions collaboratively and synergetically.

The EAC will follow the consultative process and suggest policy initiatives that will further strengthen and optimise financial and economic policies in order to enhance their welfare impact for the citizens. The ultimate goal of the EAC is to promote analytically sound and evidence based reforms and initiatives after taking all stakeholders on board. The Ministry of Finance will be the nodal government agency for the EAC.

The reconstitution of EAC l is aimed at framing an agenda for economic reforms in an entirely non-partisan manner and promoting an active and informed debate that leads to sound policy making, analytical vetting and active monitoring as envisaged by the leadership for sustained institutional reforms and modernization of the Public Sector and enhance public welfare.

A notification issued has stated that the Prime Minister has been pleased to reconstitute the Economic Advisory Council (EAC), with the composition; Prime Minister of Pakistan Chairman and Minister for Finance & Revenue Vice Chairman.

The private members of the EAC include: (i) Shaukat Tarin; (ii) Abid Suleri; (iii) Arif Habib; (iv) Asif Qureshi; (v) Ejaz Nabi; (vi)Farooq Rehmatullah; (vii) Muhammad Ali Tabba; (vii) Dr Rashid Amjad; (viii) Salman Shah; (ix) Dr Shamshad Akhtar; (x) Sultan Allana; (xi) Syed Salim Raza; and (xii) Zaid Ali Muhammad.

Official members include: (i) Minister for Energy; (ii) Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives; (iii) Minister for Industries & Production; (iv) Minister for National Food Security & Research; (v) Minister for Economic Affairs; (vi) adviser to prime minister on commerce; (vii) adviser to prime minister on institutional reforms; (viii) SAPM to overseas Pakistanis; (ix) SAPM on power and petroleum; (x) SAPM on revenue; (xi) Chairman BoI; and (xii) Governor State Bank of Pakistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021