ISLAMABAD  -   Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said radical changes were required in the government regulations to facilitate investors and eliminate cumbersome procedures involved in doing business in the country.

The prime minister was talking to former Malaysian minister Idris Jala, who called on him here at the PM Office. Imran Khan said the public-private-partnership was being encouraged in all sectors so as to reduce the burden of expenditure on the government.

Advisor on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood and Advisor on Establishment Muhammad Shehzad Arbab, Country Director World Bank Patchamuthu Illangovan and senior officials were also present during the meeting.

Idris Jala presented proposals for transforming and achieving successful results in the priority areas of the government’s development agenda including revenue, exports, investment, housing, digitization and tourism.

The prime minister appreciated the proposals and emphasized that the government was focusing on ease-of-doing-business to attract and facilitate investors. To that end, the government had already completed ground work, he said.

He directed the officials concerned to hold meetings with Idris Jala and his associates to undertake effective planning for the priority sectors of the government’s development and institutional transformation agenda.

Idris Jala has served as the minister in the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Department and as the chief executive officer of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit, the unit tasked with spearheading Malaysia’s transition towards high income status by 2020.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday apprised President Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) about commitment of his government for socio-economic uplift and highlighted the flagship initiatives of Government of Pakistan, namely “Ehsaas” and “Naya Pakistan Housing”, aimed at social welfare and poverty alleviation.

Talking to Dr Bandar M H Hajjar, President Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and members of his delegation, who called on him in his office, the prime minister underscored the importance of the IsDB for member countries and Muslim communities worldwide.

The prime minister mentioned that the current government and the Bank shared the common goal of enabling the people to lead better lives and achieve their full potential. The President IsDB expressed his appreciation of the government policies for pursuing people centric growth policy.

The delegation briefed the Prime Minister of key programmes of IsDB in Pakistan and offered assistance in human development and economic stability of the country. IsDB also expressed support for the Government’s flagship “Ehsaas” program.

The Prime Minister appreciated the Bank’s long standing engagement with Pakistan and its support towards capacity building, polio eradication and economic growth. He expressed the desire that the engagement between Pakistan and the Bank would expand further with more effective projects in years to come.