PM orders bi-weekly meetings on economy

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed the relevant ministries and other authorities to prepare within a week for bi-weekly sector-wise special meetings with the businessmen to work out tangible action plans to boost the national economy.

Talking to the delegation of prominent businessmen from across the country at the Prime Minister House, Shehbaz announced that he would chair the sector-specific biweekly meeting from next Thursday, which would be attended by relevant government officials and businessmen.

A four member delegation from the businessmen community would represent their respective sectors, whereas the government side would be led by the secretary of the relevant ministry, Shehbaz said. The meeting would aim at holding focussed interactions and taking necessary decisions, he added.

“The first such meeting will discuss the agriculture sector,” the prime minister said, adding that it was the government’s priority to target exports, employment, agriculture and other critical sectors to revive the struggling national economy.

The prime minister emphasised that investments were always led by local investors and then direct foreign investment ensued. “The government will only act as a catalyst to make enabling environment for businessmen to invest and attract global investors,” he said.

“It is the businessmen who have to drive the wheel of economy and the government is their facilitators,” he continued. “You all invested your capital in this country even in difficult times for the country’s industrial and economic development. Thanks to your efforts,” he added.

“The country’s economy is moving and people have found employment. With your advice and useful opinions, the economy will continue its journey towards improvement and reforms in all sectors. The economy is moving in the right direction as the interest and inflation rates have decreased significantly.”

In the meeting, the participants expressed full confidence in the government’s business-friendly policies and paid tribute to the government for the establishment of the National Seed Development Authority to ensure the provision of quality seeds for the development of agriculture in the country.

Two sessions

Separately, talking to Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong, Shehbaz conveyed his warm greetings and good wishes to China’s President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on the successful convening of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in Beijing.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed his satisfaction over the positive trajectory of bilateral strategic relations, and thanked China for its longstanding and steadfast support to Pakistan on all its core issues.

He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s consistent and unflinching support to China on its core issues and said that the leadership and peoples of both the countries remained determined in their shared resolve to further strengthen their “all weather strategic cooperative partnership” and elevate it to new heights.

Progress on security and counterterrorism cooperation between both countries was also discussed.