ISLAMABAD – Talking to a delegation of columnists in Islamabad thisafternoon, Prime Minister Imran Khan says the government will soon unveil acomprehensive programme before the nation showing its 100-day acheivementsfor future course of action in education, health, poverty alleviation andother vital sectors. He said the first hundred days report assumes asignificant importance in any government as it informs the people aboutgovernment’s direction and future course of action.
The Prime Minister said his government inherited a huge deficit of currentand fiscal account and is endeavoring to overcome the financial crisis.
He said that the government decided to approach the friendly countries todeal with this situation and by the grace of Almighty Allah, it overcamethis financial crunch and balance of payments issue.
The Prime Minister said his visit to China was highly successful. He saidwe need permanent solution to strengthen the economy on sound footing.
He said for this purpose, the government is focusing on four areasincluding enhancing exports, promoting investment, boosting remittances andcurbing the money laundering.
Imran Khan said that currently remittances worth 15 to 20 billion dollarsare being received through legal channels whereas almost same amount isbeing channelized through illegal means including Hawala and Hundi.
He said that the expatriate Pakistanis are being facilitated to remit moneythrough banking channels to enhance national revenues.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan offers vast investment opportunities indiverse sectors and it will be government’s priority to seek transfer oftechnology in these areas.
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The Prime Minister said at present money is being laundered abroad to thetune of 10 billion dollars and government is entering into agreements withthe foreign countries to check this menace.
He said the recent development of tracing the money stashed abroad to thetune of 700 billion rupees shows as to why the former rulers were seekingwork permits.
Imran Khan said the government has signed agreements with Switzerland, theUnited Kingdom and the United States to have information about theill-gotten money stashed in these countries by Pakistanis.
Touching upon the state of national economy and the losses being incurredby the major national institutions, he said that the circular debt in thepower sector that was 400 billion rupees in 2013, surged to 1200 billionrupees in 2018.
He said that in gas sector, the current deficit is 150 billion rupees, inPIA 400 billion rupees, in Pakistan Steel Mills 350 to 400 billion rupees,in Utility Stores 14 billion rupees, while in Postal Services 9 billionrupees. The Prime Minister regretted that unfortunately no one ever madeany effort to promote democracy in the country rather kleptocracy waspromoted, wherein the rulers abused their powers for their own vestedinterests.
