• Wants measures to enhance profitability of SMEs
• Hails support by Saudi Arabia, China, UAE over IMF facility
• Says tax on salaried class may drop in the form of reduced inflation

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that all necessary precautionary measures should be taken to prevent mpox, directing the officials concerned to raise public awareness about the preventive steps.

Chairing a meeting on the issue, the prime minister emphasised the importance of vigilance and preparedness to prevent the virus from spreading within the country.

PM Shehbaz at another meeting called for measures for the capacity building of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to enhance their profitability.

Separately, he appreciated the friendly countries, including Saudi Arabia, China and the United Arab Emirates for their support in paving the way for the IMF loan facility.

The PM instructed that scanning at all airports, seaports, and land entry points must be strictly enforced to detect any potential cases of mpox.

He noted that Pakistan was not currently facing an emergency situation related to mpox, but stressed the need for continued preparedness, particularly by the Ministry of Health and the National Disaster Management Authority.

He called for the establishment of quarantine centers across the country to accommodate any affected individuals.

The meeting was informed that Pakistan had so far recorded only five cases, all diagnosed after these individuals arrived from abroad. It was told that some 600,000 people had been screened so far as a precautionary measure.

PM Shehbaz, who chaired a meeting of the steering committee of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, said that steps to boost SMEs’ exports were inevitable for national economy.

While highlighting the role of women in national economy, the premier asked the authorities concerned to include women entrepreneurs in the decision making related to the SMEs.

He also called for raising the standards of export products on a par with international practices and engage the experts of international repute to uplift this sector.

Economic policies

Addressing the young parliamentarians of PML-N, the prime minister said that positive indicators, including the reduced policy rate and inflation, surged remittances and agricultural exports and ongoing efforts to boost IT exports, evidenced that the government’s economic policies were heading in the right direction.

He said the two per cent policy rate reduction announced the previous day was a major relief for the industrialists, investors, agriculturalists, and exporters, and expressed the hope for further decrease.

The announcement by the IMF to discuss the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) to Pakistan on Sept 25 was also a good development, he added.

The prime minister noted that inflation had reduced to 9.6pc from 38pc last year, and remittances by expatriates and agricultural exports had witnessed a surge.

The government was also striving to promote IT exports, he said and appreciated the role of Information Minister Attaullah Tarar in amplifying the government’s performance. He said the IMF programme was also being achieved following tremendous efforts and tough decisions like putting tax burden on the salaried class, which could be lessened in the future in the form of reduced inflation.

Calling the country’s five million traders to play their part in taxation, he said the government had brought the agro farms under the tax net.

Curbing tax evasion was inevitable to rid the country of the IMF programme, he said and prayed that it should be the last such facility. He appreciated the friendly countries, including Saudi Arabia, China and the UAE for their support in paving the way for the IMF facility, and also lauded efforts by the government’s economic team, the army chief, and all those involved in the process.

The young parliamentarians presented suggestions with regard to governance and legislation, which the prime minister appreciated.

On Thursday, the PM joined 48 world leaders virtually to outline their expectations for this month’s Summit of the Future to be held in New York, underscoring “effective” international cooperation to address global challenges, including the developing nation’s rising debt burdens.

“The Summit of the Future represents a great opportunity. We must not lose it!” the PM told the virtual live event as part of a global call for action to support the once-in-a-generation UN summit, which begins on Sept 22.

Over 130 heads of state and government are expected to attend the landmark event, which will be held just ahead of the annual debate in the UN General Assembly, which opens on Sept 24.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2024