The newly accredited US Special Representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan Marc Grossman, who is visiting Pakistan, called on Federal Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh here on Sunday. During the meeting, the Federal Minister gave a detailed account of the economic reforms, which the government has been taking to improve the economic condition of the country.
Dr Hafeez highlighted the budget priorities, which were resource mobilisation, expenditure cut, tax measures and control of inflation and recounted the efforts of the government, said a press release issued here.
Earlier, the Federal Minister gave an overview of the state of the economy when the government took over in 2008.
"Economic growth was lost due to non reconciliation of development with reforms due to which the whole macro-economic framework affected," he said. Dr Hafeez said that he had to take difficult decisions to transit the national economy towards development in adjustment of floods and increase in oil prices in international market.
Marc Grossman appreciated the government's economic measures and hoped that these measures would benefit the people of Pakistan in the days to come.
He said that relation between Pakistan and US are not only beneficial to Pakistan and the United States, but are essentially imperative for the region also.
He also appreciated Pakistan's focus on energy sector development, as it is fundamental for economic and social development of any country. He also emphasised for the development of Pak-US relations in terms of people-to-people contact as enshrined by the minister.
The minister had informed the visiting envoy that in the purview of strategic dialogue, the main objective was to shift government-to-government relationship to people-to-people contact so that the basis of the bilateral relations are strengthened at the grassroots level, and in this regard he stressed the establishment of Enterprise Fund by the United States so that Pakistani product can have access to the US market.
During the meeting, both the sides discussed the establishment of Enterprise Fund by the United States, Coalition Support Fund and the Kerry Lugar Bill.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary Finance, Secretary Planning and Secretary Economic Affairs from the Pakistan side, while the visiting special envoy was accompanied by US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter and senior officials of the State Department and US Embassy in Islamabad.-PR
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