ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Sunday stressed upon theexporters to increase Pakistan’s exports to at least $ 100 billion as thecountry had immense potential to compete in the global markets.He said the government had already met the demands of investors andexporters, and now it was up to them to enhance the exports volume.
Addressing the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (LCCI) achievementaward ceremony, the prime minister said three-month exports incentivesannounced by the government, were now paying dividends and hinted that theincentives period could be enhanced to three years.“The government has provided whatever the exporters had demanded. Now, itis up to them to come forward and play their role for increasing exportsdigits to $40 billion or $ 100 billion,” he added.
He called upon the exporters delegations to apprise the government of thesteps they would be taking to push the country’s exports up.
The prime minister called upon the chambers and exporters associations toreciprocate the government’s steps by increasing the exports volume.He referred to the cut in the income tax slabs and urged the gathering toutilize it for the benefit of the country.
The prime minister also expressed the hope that the measures taken by thegovernment would increase the tax net.He said the elections would be held in July this year and the masses woulddecide the fate of political parties. As a result of their decision, a newgovernment would be formed and mandated to function for its constitutionalterm.
He said under the vision of PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, thegovernment had been executing uplift projects worth billions of rupeesthroughout the country. There was not a single week in which he was notinaugurating development projects worth billions of rupees, he added.
He said the PML-N government only worked for the masses and the country.“The PML-N government not only initiated new projects and completed thembut also cleared the past backlog, left unattended by the previousregimes,” he added.
He said the PML-N government performed well during the last five years,which was unparalleled in the country’s history and its functioning couldbe compared with others in the last 65 years.
The prime minister noted that the country would only progress through thecontinuation of democratic system. The policies of the government wouldcontinue, he added. The PML-N government, he said, had completed energyprojects and increased the length of motorways to 1700 km.
He said the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would also give atremendous boost to business and investment activities, and called upon theexporters to take benefit of the economic zones.The prime minister said the next government would have the prerogative toamend the budget presented by the PML-N government. He, however, said thePML-N would again form the next government.
He said paying of taxes was not an option but a national responsibility andthe test of patriotism. Through the use of technology tax evaders would bedetected, he added.—APP