ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the Finance Ministry to make all efforts to provide maximum possible relief to the people.
While presiding over a meeting to review the economic situation and future outlook of the economy in the wake of COVID-19 situation, the prime minister said that out of box solutions are needed to meet the present-day economic challenges
Imran Khan emphasized that priorities and targets for the next public sector development program should be clearly defined with a focus on completion of the projects rather than mere initiation.
The prime minister also underscored the need for maximum utilization of the public-private partnership model and involving international development partners to enhance and broaden the scope of the public sector development program.
During the meeting, a detailed presentation was made by the Finance Ministry about the overall situation and the performance of various macroeconomic indicators during the past nine months of the current financial year.
The prime minister was also apprised of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The meeting reviewed the progress and impact of the Economic Stimulus Package amounting to Rs 1.25 trillion announced by the government to provide relief to the poor and vulnerable segments of society and to support various sectors of the economy that have adversely been hit by COVID-19 pandemic.
While appreciating the performance of various economic indicators during the past nine months of the current financial year, the prime minister appreciated the efforts of the Finance Ministry to ensure financial discipline and provision of relief during the COVID-19 situation.
Imran Khan emphasized that greater attention should be paid to supporting small and medium sector enterprises and the agriculture sector enabling them to create greater job opportunities for the people.
In addition, he said that the process of reforming public sector organizations should be expedited to plug leakages of the economy.
The prime minister said that the process of provision of subsidies should also be reviewed to make these interventions more effective and target-oriented.
