LAHORE - Punjab Finance Minister Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha presided over a meeting regarding budget preparations on Friday.

On the occasion, the provincial finance minister said that Punjab budget 2016-17 will focus on issues hurting growth including, but not limited to, energy dearth and  trained manpower. She said that youngsters will be provided with special training which is today the demand of international market. In this way, a decrease in unemployment will be observed. Deserving people will be provided interest-free loans for the start of business. She said that reforms are made in the relevant departments to provide poor people with basic quality facilities like health and education.

Dr. Ayesha Ghaus Pasha further said that agriculture sector problems can be solved by benefiting from international level researches and use of latest technology, providing quality medicines to counter decreased production of agriculture-products. She said that landowners and farmers issues are being focused. Provincial finance minster that steps are being taken to provide facilities to the poor and earlier implemented taxes will be recovered and recovery from defaulters will be done in this regard. On the occasion, provincial minster congratulated the previous month performance of Punjab Revenue Authority for record recovery of receipts. She said that although Punjab government has not fulfilled the desired target regarding tax receipt but these receipts during the current year are higher than that of previous decades and assured that Punjab Revenue Authority will be succeeded through hard work by introducing new reforms.