Expensive electricity retards small, medium enterprises: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said expensive electricity is a major impediment to the growth of small and medium enterprises, which increases the cost of production and makes domestic products lose their ability to compete with foreign goods.

He observed this while chairing a meeting on the promotion of industrial processes, especially the problems faced by small and medium enterprises and their solutions. The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Hammad Azhar, Asad Umar, Umar Ayub, Trade Adviser Abdul Razak Dawood, Special Assistants Nadeem Babar, Tabish Gohar, the secretary Finance, the secretary Energy, the secretary Petroleum and other senior officials. The meeting considered various proposals for resolving issues facing industries, especially small and medium enterprises, including costly electricity.

Addressing the meeting, the prime minister said the country’s development is linked to the promotion of industrial process. He said that to save the industrial sector, especially the small and medium enterprises from the current economic situation and the losses caused by the coronavirus, it was necessary to find solutions to the problems facing the industrial sector on a priority basis. Welcoming various proposals put forward in this regard, the prime minister said all possible efforts and steps would be taken to promote industrial process and utilize the existing capacity in the country. The prime minister directed that the proposals put forward to the industrial sector for resolving energy-related issues should be finalized as soon as possible so that they could be implemented immediately.

Meanwhile, the PM chaired a meeting on steps to be taken in the federal capital to improve health facilities and ensure the provision of quality health services to people. Special Assistant for Health Dr Faisal Sultan briefed the prime minister on problems faced in the health sector, priorities and future strategies for improving the quality of health services and providing quality services. A detailed discussion was held on providing basic and quality health services to people through primary healthcare and expanding the scope of the health insurance programme and introduction of an action plan to reduce the burden of large hospitals by improving facilities in primary healthcare units and medium hospitals. The roadmap for the use of information technology in providing health services to patients was presented to the prime minister. The prime minister was briefed on the progress of the proposal for setting up primary healthcare facilities at Jhangi Syedan, Mauza Johad, G-13 and Golra, expansion of Polyclinic and construction of 200-bed secondary healthcare hospital at Sarai Kharboza. The prime minister appreciated the efforts being made to address the health problems facing people of the federal capital and said the provision of quality healthcare is one of the top priorities of the government. He said the government is making every effort to expand the scope of the National Health Card so that more people can avail this facility. He directed that efforts be intensified to improve health facilities.