PM invites business community to help alleviate poverty

KARACHI: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday assured the business community that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government was committed to ease of doing business in the country.

The prime minister, in a series of meetings with different delegations of Karachi-based business community here at the Singh Governor House, emphasized that poverty alleviation was the top most priority of the government and sought their to help achieve the goal with active involvement of all the stakeholders.

"I along with my team are here to take stock of the situation and help address all genuine grievances of the investors and the business community," he said, reiterating that the national economy could no more be run on obsolete concepts.

Talking to the delegations of representatives of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and Pakistan Automotive Parts Manufacturers/Assemblers Association (PAPMAA), he said reforms in the taxation system was also an essential component of the PTI's economic policy.

The government, he said, was said to be equally focused on advancement of investment, raise in revenue generation, inflation control and to combat associated increase in the cost of living.

The prime minister assured the representatives of local business community that his visit to Karachi was to personally listen to their problems and get them settled for good.

Responding to the suggestions forwarded by the business community, Imran Khan said an efficient strategy was being evolved to counter smuggling, which was causing massive loss to the country's industrial sector as well as the economy.

The prime minister during the meetings was accompanied by Sindh Governor  Sindh Imran Ismail, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar, Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda, Minister for Ports and Shipping Syed Ali Zaidi, advisors Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh (Finance, Revenue and Economic

Affairs), Abdul Razzaq Dawood ((Business and Trade) and Dr Ishrat Hussain (Economic Reforms), Federal Board of Revenue Chairman Syed Shabbar Hussain Zaidi, Board of Investment Chairman Syed Zubair Haider Gillani and State Bank Governor Dr Raza Baqar.

The FPCCI delegation that called on the prime minister, included SM Muneer, Daroo Khan Achakzai, Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Ghaznafar Bilour, Zubair Tufail, Tariq Haleem, Khalid Tawwab, and Syed Mazhar Ali Nasir.

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— PTI (@PTIofficial) 10 July 2019

Siraj Qasim Teli, Junaid Ismail Makda, Khurram Shahzad, Zubair Motiwala, Haroon Farooqui, Anjum Nisar, Haroon Aagar, Shamim Ahmed Firpo were the members of the KCCI delegation.

Auto Moto sector's delegation comprised representatives of Toyota Indus Motors, Pak Suzuki Motors, Hino Pak Motors, Isuzu Motors, Master Motors, Atlas Honda Motors and Faw Motors.

The delegations unanimously raised the issue of smuggling (inland and otherwise) as a major challenge severely affecting the competitiveness of the Pakistan made and manufactured goods in the national and international markets.

They also extensively deliberated upon the issue of taxation and shared with the prime minister their recommendations to enhance revenue generation on sustainable basis.

The prime minister directed his team to look into the issues and get them urgently and adequately resolved.