ISLAMABAD, March 27: The De-regulation Committee of the Cabinet is meeting here on Thursday to discuss and approve new measures for removing various irritants that are blocking domestic and foreign business activities in the country.

Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, who would chair the meeting, told Dawn on Wednesday that a number of irritants still existed which needed to be removed to create an enabling environment for local and foreign investors.

He said the meeting would discuss the reports of three sub-committees on Central Board of Revenue, Labour Laws and irritants pertaining to the provincial governments.

The de-regulation committee had been constituted by President Pervez Musharraf to remove various irritant both at the federal and the provincial level.

The finance minister said that once these irritants were removed the overall productivity would increase and the local and foreign investors would largely feel attracted to make investment in Pakistan.

Responding to a question, Aziz said the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet (ECC) would also meet separately under his chairmanship on Thursday to discuss a detailed agenda, including the issue of price hike.

The finance minister said the meeting of Economic Advisory Board (EAB), which was to be held on Thursday, had been delayed because of the president’s other important engagements. However, he said, the president would soon chair the EAB meeting to take a number of new decisions for accelerating business and economic activities in the country.