Response to federal budget positive: FM

MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Saturday said the government made efforts to improve the economy after the COVID-19 challenge and response to the federal budget has been positive.

Talking to journalists at the Deputy Commissioner Office here, he said the goal in this financial year is economic growth. Remittances have exceeded expectations. The economy is improving after the COVID-19 situation. Interest-free loans will be given to farmers. Production of agricultural commodities has increased, he said, adding that taxes have been reduced in the recent budget.

He said the country has made a record wheat production this year. There was also a good production of rice and maize. He said the lack of quality cotton seeds played a key role in reducing the crop growth rate. The biggest challenge has been inflation throughout the year. In the budget, the government made a plan on how to control inflation. He said the government has decided not to increase electricity tariff. The government has maintained petrol prices. The government has not increased income tax and sales tax rate. The value of Pak rupee has improved. In this budget, the government earmarked money for the construction of a motorway from Sukkur to Hyderabad.

Qureshi said the government has allocated Rs 118 billion for the energy sector in the budget. The government made efforts to give relief to every class in this budget. He said for the first time in the history of Pakistan, an allocation is being set for South Punjab. The budget for South Punjab will be spent only on South Punjab.

Meanwhile, presiding over a Multan District Coordination Committee meeting, Qureshi said Rs 900 billion have been exclusively allocated for the development sector, which is more than 43pc of the last financial year. He said the growth in the country can happen when every bit of the development budget will be spent on projects. He said he will not allow a single rupee of the development budget of the Multan district to be lapsed. Officers who are not performing well will not stay in Multan, he warned. The parliamentarians and government officials have to work as a team and implement development programmes.

He said they have to bring federal and provincial level powers to the district level. The PTI government will deliver goods to people this year.

Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Energy Minister Dr Akhtar Malik said the DCC under the leadership of Shah Mehmood Qureshi will achieve its goal and the Multan district will become a role model in Punjab. He said contractors should be selected for development projects, who have a reputation for completing projects on time.

Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Political Affairs Malik Amir Dogar said a new building of the Girls High School Kotla Tola will be constructed. He said a disposal station should be constructed for the sewerage of Mohalla Hazariyan and the sewerage should be laid before the construction of the Hazoori Bagh Road.

Deputy Commissioner Ali Shehzad gave a briefing on ongoing development projects in the district. CPO Munir Masood Marth gave a briefing on law and order.