PM Imran woos traders to contribute to economic development

Imran says government considers restoring the trust of the business community top priority

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has urged the business community to play its effective role for the economic development and progress of the country.

In a meeting with a delegation of leading industrialists and traders on Sunday, the premier remarked that the government was making all-out efforts to facilitate them. The delegation comprised representatives from Information Technology, pharmaceuticals, textile, plastic, garments and other sectors including Aizaz Hussain, Shahid Surti, Abrar Hussain, Khalid Mahmood, Yaqub Ahmed, Shabir Dewan, Khalil Sattar, Taufiq Chinoy, Fawad Anwar, Ijaz Gauhar and Shahzad Ali Malik.

Minister for Planning Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Finance Adviser Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Commerce Advisor Abdul Razak Dawood, FBR Chairman Shabbar Zaidi and other senior officials were also in attendance.

The business delegation presented recommendations pertaining to the upcoming fiscal budget. The prime minister maintained that the government considered restoring the trust of the business community as a priority for which he was repeatedly meeting them.

PM Khan said that government’s job was not just to impose taxes but to extend facilities to the taxpayers. He observed that the IT sector can play a key role in good governance and welfare of the people. He noted that the government wanted to see products exported from Pakistan compete with products in the international market in terms of price and quality.

The premier said that the investor could only be attracted to the country by bringing ease of doing business that would also strengthen the national economy.

“By ensuring ease of doing business, we can attract attention of the investors and boost our economy,” PM said, adding that “the government wishes to take suggestions and recommendations of the business community while it prepares the policy for industry and trade. Policies made through consultation can help us overcome the bottlenecks and stumbling blocks in business”.

PM Khan advised the business community to take full advantage of the tax amnesty scheme announced by the government. He said that the government was in the process of introducing reforms in the Federal Bureau of Revenue to regain the trust of the traders on tax collection system.