ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday stressed upon the provincial governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to cut their non-development expenditures like the federal government, and create job opportunities in those urban areas hit hard by the current coronavirus pandemic.
The prime minister said due to Covid-19 pandemic, the economic situation worldwide was unusual. The upcoming fiscal budget was being presented in this extraordinary situation which required that non-development expenditures should be curtailed whereas development expenditures should be enhanced.
The prime minister was chairing a high level meeting over the upcoming proposed fiscal budgets of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the year 2020-21, PM office media wing in a press release said.
The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister for Information Senator Shibli Faraz, Minister for Industries Muhammad Hammad Azhar, Minister for Planning Asad Umar, PM’s advisors including Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Abdul Razak Dawood, Dr Ishrat Hussain, Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari, Lt. Gen. (retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa, Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan, Punjab finance minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht, KPK finance minister Taimur Salim Jhagra and other senior officials.
Ban on inter-provincial transportation of wheat lifted
During the meeting, the economic teams of chief ministers of Punjab and KPK presented detailed briefings on the revenue, expenditures and priorities contained in their respective proposed fiscal budgets for the year 2020-21and based upon ground realities.
While addressing the meeting, the prime minister underlined the need for specially prioritising those projects and their implementation which would create employment opportunities and move the wheels of economy rapidly.
For ensuring private sectors’ participation to meet the national and provincial development requirements, he also emphasized upon the need for facilitation of private sector to accomplish projects under the public private partnership.
The prime minister also directed the provincial governments to specially focus on the development of industrial and agricultural sectors. The prime minister was briefed on the priorities being given in the proposed budgets regarding the special economic zones and promotion of agricultural sector. The prime minister directed the provincial governments to pay special attention on the up-gradation projects of health sector, so that the general public could get quality health services.
Ban on inter-provincial transportation of wheat lifted
The government on Sunday decided to lift ban on the inter-provincial transportation of wheat and abolish duties on import of the commodity in order to ensure its sufficient availability in the country.
The decisions were taken in a high level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan here to discuss the measures to cope with the country’s needs of the wheat and control the flour price, a PM Office press release said.
The meeting decided that the government would allow the inter-provincial transportation of wheat and remove all the check posts established between the provinces to check movement of the wheat.
The government would also allow the import of wheat through private sector without any restriction of the limit. The meeting decided to abolish six percent and additional two percent duties currently applicable on wheat import. It was decided that the government would curb the smuggling of wheat and flour and launch a huge crackdown on the hoarders.
The meeting also discussed in detail the volume of wheat crop in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtukhwa, procurement by the provincial governments, available stock and needs of the provinces.
