Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry Tuesday said that the government will present its economic agenda before the masses through the ''mini-budget'' in the National Assembly on Wednesday (today). "The government is going to present its economic vision and 2019 is the year of achieving all the targets," the minister said in a tweet.
The minister said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government coped with financial emergency during its first five months in power, resulting from balance of payments issue and flawed economic policies of the previous government. The government will now unveil its economic vision, he said, declaring 2019 as the year of realisation of actual targets.
Finance Minister Asad Umar earlier this month announced that ''mini-budget'' would be revealed on January 23. This would be the second such budget introduced by the PTI government since it was voted into power in the July 28 general election. The forthcoming ''mini-budget'' which the government has named as "economic reforms package" is expected to bring relief in terms of downward revisions in four import slabs by one percent and elimination of regulatory duty on 150 to 250 items.
According to Finance Ministry''s Adviser and Spokesman Dr Khaqan Najeeb, the ''mini-budget'' would support ease of business processes, simplify procedures and facilitate businesses by reducing bureaucratic red-tape. It would also support manufacturing and exports, incentivise low-cost housing and facilitate agricultural financing to boost the country''s economy, he added.
The business community and general public have been curiously waiting for the ''mini-budget'', hoping the government will introduce sufficient incentives for trade and economy to revive the faltering financial system.