Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stated that creating employment opportunities, increasing exports, improving the economy, and enhancing productivity are collective responsibilities that require joint efforts from all stakeholders. He made these remarks while addressing a meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC).
Consultations with Provinces
The Prime Minister informed that consultations with the provinces regarding the budget had been ongoing for several weeks. He said discussions were also held on generating additional resources and taking measures to accelerate GDP growth through increased exports.
Economic Improvement and Challenges
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif noted that the economy has shown improvement at the macroeconomic level, but more hard work is still needed. He said important decisions were taken in the best interest of Pakistan through teamwork, despite the significant challenges faced by the national economy.
During his address, he further emphasized that generating maximum resources and ensuring adequate funding for defense remain top priorities. He added that additional resources are also required to effectively tackle the challenge of terrorism.
Commitment to IMF Program
The Prime Minister said that despite difficulties, the government remained committed to implementing the IMF program. He revealed that he spoke with the Managing Director of the IMF last night, who appreciated Pakistan’s sincere efforts toward economic reforms.
He also pointed out that oil prices have surged sharply due to the evolving regional situation. He praised the provinces for their full cooperation and reiterated that creating jobs, boosting exports, improving economic conditions, and increasing productivity are shared national responsibilities.
Fuel Price Relief
The Prime Minister further stated that the government provided relief worth Rs128 billion to the public in the form of fuel price support. He noted that while long queues were seen at petrol stations in several countries, timely measures ensured uninterrupted fuel availability for citizens across Pakistan.
