This time last year, there was doom and gloom all around. After the tightening of the economy owing to the all-strings-attached loan by the International Monetary Fund and the uncertainty hell of the pandemic, economists and analysts predicted negative growth rates. However, contrary to popular belief, this publication predicted the jubilantly welcomed four per cent growth rate.

This year, with the economy taking a turn for the best and stepped-up vaccinations shining a light at the end of the tunnel, the corporate sector’s number one priority is growth amidst hopes of at least sustaining the current optimist growth rate.

With the annual federal budget expected this week most, if not all, bodies have put together a list and have had high-level meetings to air their views to the relevant government officials. Last year, while the coronavirus raged on without an end in sight, the construction sector had emerged in the budget as the clear darling courtesy the Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme. With highly optimistic growth numbers this time around and vaccination numbers shining a light at the end of the tunnel, many industries are hopeful for a more fruitful budget.

While each sector has specific wishes, we have cherry-picked those with arguably the most wide-ranging consequences:

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, June 7th, 2021