ISLAMABAD -  Federal Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar has said that growth is the name of the game for economic stability of the country.

The minister stated this while addressing senior civil and military officers participating in the National Security and War Course 2017 at the National Defense University (NDU) here at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Headquarters on Tuesday.

Dar said that the incumbent government’s economic policies have put Pakistan on the road to macroeconomic stability. He said that now target is to achieve higher, sustainable and inclusive growth. He pointed out that international organisations including the World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have acknowledged the positive impact of the challenging structural reforms undertaken by the government, and are appreciating the improvement in Pakistan’s economy over the past three years.

He said that the government is committed to building on the momentum gained during the last three years and pursuing the economic reform agenda with the same vigour. The minister appreciated the crucial role of NDU in preparing senior officers of both civil and military for leadership roles. He said that participation in the ongoing course will equip the officers to make a positive contribution in policy formulation and strategic decision making, which bodes well for Pakistan’s future.

He emphasized that the good performance of both civil and military senior officers was vital to the peace, progress and prosperity of the nation. The participants of the course also asked questions related to the economy, export promotion, tax reforms and agriculture sector uplift. During question answer session, the minister said that the government is focused on plan to boost agriculture and exports sectors.

The minister’s address was preceded by the presentations of the finance secretary and FBR chairman, who provided an overview of the economy and details of the tax reforms undertaken over the last three years.

Performance of EAD reviewed

Finance Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar here on Tuesday chaired a meeting to review the performance of Economic Affairs Division.

The minister was briefed by Secretary Economic Affairs Division on Portfolios and Country Partnership Strategies of the Development Partners and the implementation status of the ongoing projects in the country. He reviewed the status of preparations of the development projects in the pipeline and stressed the need for their early finalization.

Ishaq Dar emphasized that project aid disbursement should be timely, transparent and its utilization should be efficient. The finance minister was also briefed on the ongoing return and rehabilitation status of the FATA's temporarily displaced people (TDP) and the aid disbursement and utilization status of various projects being executed for the purpose.

He appreciated the role of all stakeholders and reiterated government's commitment for allocating the required resources for safe and dignified return and rehabilitation of the TDP families and reconstruction of the damaged areas in FATA The meeting was attended by senior officials of Ministries of Finance and Economic Affairs Division.