Govt to engage business community to address budget reservations

LAHORE: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Friday said that the business community was the backbone of the country's economy and the government would engage them to address their reservations in the federal budget 2019-20.

Talking to representatives of various chambers and trade unions at the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) here, she said the government wanted to make the business community its partner in the journey of country's progress and all-out facilitation would be extended in that regard.

She appreciated the role of the FPCCI in the country's development and said it always supported during tough times in the country.

Dr Firdous said that arguments on federal budget had just started and reservations of the business community and other sectors would be addressed through consultation.

The incumbent government was resolving issues on economic front with a commitment and taking bold decisions for the long term gains, she said.

Dr Firdous said that the PTI came to power with limited foreign reserves in the national exchequer, however, friendly countries including China, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, came forward to help Pakistan and provided financial assistance.

She said that a competent and professional economic team was working hard under the leadership of the prime minister to resolve economic challenges.

The government had introduced reforms in tax structure and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) was being revamped, she said adding that policy making and implementation departments had been divided in two separate wings.

She said that amnesty scheme announced by the government was aimed at documentation of assets and it was being changed into asset declaration bill.

Dr Firdous said that under "Ahsaas programme," the federal government along with the provincial government, would facilitate the oppressed people. She said that Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and his team was giving priority to all the less developed areas of the province.

Dr Firdous said that the government was protecting taxpayers' money and for that purpose, an austerity drive had been launched by the PTI government wherein Prime Minister Imran Khan had presented himself as a role model.

She said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had challenged the status-quo in the country and would be victorious in achieving his objectives.

She said priorities of the past rulers were limited to their personal benefits and flourishing their own businesses and assets which ruined the country's future.

Responding to arrest of PPP Co-Chairman Asif Zardari's sister Faryal Talpur, she said that men and women were equal in the eyes of law. It was very unfortunate that the Zardari and Sharif families used women as a shield to protect their corruption.

National Accountability Bureau was an independent institution and the present government believed in strengthening the institutions as it was pivotal for supremacy of the law in the country, she added.