Public sector enterprises: Dar stresses need for structural changes

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Senator Ishaq Dar has stressed the need for structural changes in public sector enterprises to save wasteful expenditure of around Rs 250 billion. He was talking to a delegation headed by Director General for the Department of International Development and UKAid, Mark Lowcock, who called on him here at Punjab House on Monday.
The PML-N leader called upon the government to improve the governance and also stressed the need to curtail the expenditure and optimise the resources, which would ultimately guarantee economic stability in the country. He said that the financial autonomy could only be achieved by increasing income sources and introducing transparency in taxation system, adding that introduction of transparency in tax collection and controlling the slippages could help expand tax net.
Dar also emphasised that the non-development expenditure needed to be cut down by adopting austerity measures and scaling down the cabinet size. He suggested that austerity measures should be observed from top to bottom. He further called for restructuring state corporations by appointing qualified persons, adding that strict accountability system will save billions of rupees on one hand, while on the other improve delivery services.
He praised the reforms agenda envisage by the PML-N, saying that it would prove a milestone for achieving economic stability, exterminating corruption, strengthening institutions and solving the problems of the masses. He was of the view that the reforms agenda can steer the country out of political and financial crises provided it is followed in letter and spirit, adding that it also called for eradication of corruption, inflation and bad governance, which are posing serious challenges to political and social stability of Pakistan.
He added that the reformed agenda was voice of 1.7 billion people of the country and it was need of the hour to implement it in its true letter and spirit, adding that execution of the agenda will strengthen the people's trust in democracy, political leadership and democratic institutions.