ISLAMABAD    -    Prime Minister Mu­hammad Shehbaz Shar­if Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to take all possible steps to provide relief to the common man in the next fiscal year's budget.

He was chairing a high-level meeting about the preparation of the budget for finan­cial year 2023-24.

During the meeting, the prime minister was briefed by his econom­ic team about prepara­tions of the next year’s budget. He was also briefed about the re­vised estimates of rev­enue and expenditures and target estimates for the next year.

The meeting was in­formed that Budget for fiscal year 2023-24 would be presented on 9th of next month in the National Assembly af­ter getting approval by the federal cabinet.

Speaking on this oc­casion, the prime minis­ter said all available re­sources should be used to reduce the financial difficulties and provide relief to the middle-class.

He expressed satisfac­tion that prices of Urea are continuously de­creasing as a result of the timely and prudent strat­egy of the government.

Shehbaz Sharif said during the past two months, current account surplus was achieved after many years and the economy of the country is heading towards positive trajectory. He directed to take concrete steps to increase revenue and enhance tax net. The prime minister also directed the au­thorities concerned to finalise pension reforms at the earliest and establish a pension fund through adopting creative methods to lessen the burden on the national treasury to ensure welfare of the pen­sioners. Also, PM Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said practical steps were being taken for the provision of best infrastructure and transport facilities to the residents of Islamabad. He directed the relevant authorities to make efforts for extending world standard facilities to the citizens of the capital.

The prime minister chaired a meeting on the development projects of Islamabad. The meeting was attended by Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah, PM’s Advis­er Ahad Cheema, PM’s Special Assistant Tariq Ba­jwa, former Members of the National Assembly Hanif Abbasi, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Anjum Aqeel, Capital Development Authority chairman, secretaries and other senior officials, the PM Of­fice Media Wing said in a press release. PM She­hbaz also directed for acceleration of pace on the ongoing development projects without compro­mising on transparency and quality work. The meeting was apprised that in the rural areas of Is­lamabad, work on Rs10 billion package was be­ing carried out which would bring a new era of de­velopment in those areas. For improvement of the transport system in Islamabad, a total of 160 elec­tric buses would run on different routes while 30 of them would arrive by the mid of June to ply on two routes. Addressing the participants, the prime minister said the overseas Pakistanis were the precious assets of the country and their welfare was among the top priorities of the government. 

The meeting was apprised that a number of housing units equipped with the latest facilities were being constructed in the Federal Capital for the overseas Pakistanis while residential schemes for expatriates were also initiated in which they would be provided with concession of 15 percent over full payment. It was informed that a total of 45 commercial plots located at the best locations of Islamabad were ready for auction. It was fur­ther informed that for the rural and urban areas of Islamabad, a short-term solid waste management project would commence in June this year, where­as an international tender had been floated for the solid waste management under a long-term plan.

The prime minister directed that a comprehen­sive solid waste management plan should be pre­sented before the Federal Cabinet for approval.