Shahbaz Sharif stresses launching public works programme in country

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif has demanded the government start public works programme at larger scale in the country and bring the interest rate down to 6 per cent.

In his statement issued on Monday, he said development programme would create jobs for people. He said projects of roads, schools, clinics, godowns and water channels were need of the hour and should be started without any delay.

The opposition leader said the government had taken once again wrong decision by reducing budget for the public sector development programme (PSDP). New projects would help start economic activity, he believed.

Former chief minister Punjab said the government should take bold steps of reducing income tax as it would lessen burden on people. He said relief in budget would help increase demand of products.

About resources for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said it was just a peanut. He said the up-gradation of railways from Karachi to Peshawar with the allocated budget would take 200 years to complete. He blamed the government for not being able to collect taxes. He said the PML-N has had specified annual tax collection at 14.5 per cent, and if the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had adopted the same policy, they could have collected Rs5,000 billion this year and Rs5,700 billion next year. He said the government needs to work with open minded for bringing change in the country and the lives of people.