ISLAMABAD, Aug 31: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said that he will take effective measures to resolve major political and economic problems of the country.
Talking to Dawn on telephone, he said: "The country needs rapid changes to settle its political and economic problems as quickly as possible".
The prime minister said that a new direction was being set for the ministries dealing with economy to accelerate growth so that serious challenges like poverty and unemployment could be tackled effectively.
In reply to a question, Mr Aziz said he was seeking opposition's support both in and outside parliament to solve political and economic problems. "You would witness fast changes during my tenure as the prime minister. My priority is also to ensure effective coordination among the economic ministries."
He said that job creation through the development of small and medium Enterprises would be given importance. "I am very much clear that without satisfying the poor, no government in Pakistan can claim to be a popular administration," Mr Aziz said.
Answering a question, he said challenges like poverty and unemployment could not be tackled without paying due attention to the agriculture sector. "I know what are our real problems and I would honestly try to come up to the expectations of people," he added.
He said that improving relations with international donor agencies and financial institutions would also be his government's priority. The purpose, he said, was not to seek loans but to maintain cordial relations which were necessary for the economy of the country.
To a question about Pakistan's relations with the IMF, the premier said he had made it amply clear that Islamabad would no longer be seeking any new funding after the expiry of the ongoing $1.5 billion Poverty Reduction Growth Facility programme by December. However, he said, annual consultation with the IMF under Article IV would continue. "We would continue to seek technical assistance from the IMF for which fund officials are considerate".
Mr Aziz said his government would prefer having access to funds through the international capital market and global financial institutions. In this regard, he referred to the government's decision to seek $500 million from the international market through flotation of bonds. Such bond flotations, he said, would continue because they were good for the economy.
"We don't need any certification from the IMF for our economy if we successfully mobilize funds through the international capital market," the prime minister said, adding that countries like China were mobilizing funds through market despite having billions of dollars in foreign exchange reserves.