BMP welcomes Imran as new PM

KARACHI: The Businessmen Panel (BMP) on Friday congratulated Imran Khan for getting elected as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan, and pinned high hopes on him for overcoming the dwindling economic situation of the country.

The BMP said the new prime minister’s job would be much more daunting, as he inherited a nation riven with economic woes, security threats and international isolation compared with India, which looked to increase its grasp on political life. The BMP urged the new government to stabilise the country through effective economic policies which would turn into reduced trade deficit.

The Ministry of Commerce and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) should set goals for the commercial counsellors to initiate a push towards better trade diplomacy, it said.

There was need to turnaround Pakistan’s inefficient state-owned enterprises by making them more autonomous by having specialised boards of management that would be responsible for CEO appointments and running these enterprises. The TDAP too, which was badly governed in the last government’s tenure, needed to be revamped, the panel added.

The panel further stressed special measures should be announced for overseas Pakistanis to facilitate their investments in the country. They also urged to revisit the Strategic Trade Policy Frame Work (STPF) with the consultation of the private sector and industry officials.