PM Imran congratulates govt for achieving 5.37% GDP growth

Pakistan ranked amongst top 3 countries on normalcy index following pandemic, says PM

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday congratulated his government on achieving a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 5.37% for the financial year 2020-2021.

The premier took to his official Twitter handle to highlight the growth, claiming that the increase in GDP had led to the creation of substantial jobs, and a “rise in per capita income”.

PM Imran maintained that Pakistan’s economic reforms’ “success” has been recognised internationally, with Bloomberg predicting that Pakistan “will sustain high growth trajectory and employment levels”.

I want to congratulate my govt on achieving GDP growth of 5.37% in 3 yrs leading to substantial jobs creation & rise in per capita income. Our econ reforms success recognised internationally. Bloomberg predicted Pak will sustain high growth trajectory & employment levels. pic.twitter.com/zC0oXGKr8M

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 21, 2022

He further stated that since the outbreak of Covid-19, Pakistan “has been ranked amongst top [three] countries on [the] normalcy index”, which he claimed indicated the “saving” of jobs and lives.

“The Economist recognised this in its latest normalcy index”, he said, attaching a picture from the magazine that placed Pakistan second on its normalcy index, measuring countries' “activity”.

Additionally, since outbreak of Covid pandemic Pak has been ranked amongst top 3 countries on normalcy index indicating saving jobs and saving lives. The Economist recognised this in its latest normalcy index. pic.twitter.com/6SlvpMDiCD

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 21, 2022

Pakistan revised up its economic growth rate for 2020-21 to 5.37% from 3.9%, Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said on Thursday.

Read: Rebasing of economy pays dividend to govt

"The growth in 2020-21 was 5.37%," Umar said in a tweet, adding that the National Accounts Committee (NAC), a government body that reviews the economic indicators, had approved the revised estimate of GDP growth.

This is the second time the GDP rate for 2020-21 has been revised, from an initial 2.3% set in the 2020 annual budget then later to 3.9%.

The country's statistics bureau also shifted its economy's baseline, which pushed the figure up further to 5.57%, a statement from the planning ministry said.

With the new 2015-16 baseline, it said, Pakistani total GDP has reached at $346.76 billion with a per capita income of $1,666.