Subsidy review: should be closely monitored, common man should get relief: PM

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that extraordinary steps have to be taken to address the economic challenges facing the country, however all efforts should be made for the relief of the common man while directing him to review and closely monitor the subsidy process given to various sectors. An important meeting was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Imran Khan yesterday. According to sources, the situation in Korona and issues related to the country's economy were discussed in the meeting. The Prime Minister was briefed by the Federal Ministry of Finance on the economic statistics of the first nine months of the twentieth financial year, its impact on the national economy and the progress on various relief packages. The progress and implications of the Rs. 1.25 trillion economic package announced by the government to help the poor and the weaker sections of the society and various sectors of the economy severely affected by the Corona situation were reviewed. Addressing the meeting, he lauded the performance of the Ministry of Finance in the current situation and directed that public-private partnership be promoted for development. Special attention should be paid to small and medium enterprises. Special attention should also be paid to the agricultural sector. The Prime Minister also emphasized on achieving the targets of development programs and including international development partners in them and added that the government strives to provide maximum relief to the people. Empowerment of small scale industries will create employment opportunities. "Out of the box" solutions will have to be found to address the current economic challenges. The priorities and goals of the forthcoming public sector development program should be clarified and the focus should be on their completion rather than just initiating projects. Development projects need to adopt a public-private partnership model. In order to prevent wastage of economic resources, the process of reform in public sector institutions should be expedited. In addition, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry called on Prime Minister Imran Khan and briefed him on the "Made in Pakistan" project. He also gave a briefing on masks and protective clothing made in Pakistan. The Prime Minister appreciated the performance of Fawad Chaudhry and the Ministry of Science in the manufacture of products at the local level. Later, Fawad Chaudhry said in a tweet that the Prime Minister termed the Ministry of Science and Technology as of utmost importance and said that the future of the country depended on knowledge and understanding of technology. Meanwhile, Chairman Board of Investment Atif R. Bukhari also called on the Prime Minister in which various issues related to investment were discussed. Appointed Special Representative for Relief Fund Campaign. He will also work with prominent businessman and social activist Khurshid Alam, who is the official focal person for the Corona Relief Fund campaign.