ISLAMABAD                  -          Prime Minister Imran Khan appreciated debt relief measures by G-20 countries, IMF, and World Bank for developing countries, including Pakistan. He was talking to Finance Advisor Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh in Islamabad on Thursday.

The Finance Advisor informed the Prime Minister about the planned approval of an additional 1.4 billion dollars concessionary financing from IMF to deal with economic impact of coronavirus.

He also updated the Prime Minister about the progress on various components of Economic Stimulus Package announced by the government.

Earlier, PM met Punjab Minister for Industries Mian Aslam and directed him to remain in constant contact with the business community and chambers to ensure the enforcement of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for protection against coronavirus. PM said while opening certain industries, the government had also shared some SOPs with the provinces for protection of the labors and workers there, a PM Office press release said. He said the government was committed to take all possible measures to contain the virus but at the same time, it had to allow minimum negative economic impacts on low-income segment particularly the middle class people.  The meeting discussed the impacts of coronavirus situation on industrial sector, reopening of some industries by the government and future strategy.

The provincial minister lauded the federal government’s decision of reopening the construction and some other industries for what the business community was thankful to the prime minister.