ISLAMABAD
\nPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed the government\u2019s economic team to utilize all possible resources to provide maximum relief to common man in the budget for upcoming fiscal year 2023-24.
\nChairing a meeting here to review the budget 2023-24 preparations, he ordered to take every possible step to minimize the financial crisis of the middle and lower income segments of the society.
\nDuring the meeting, the economic team briefed the prime minister about budget preparation besides the revised targets of tax collection for current fiscal year, and the proposed targets for next fiscal year.
\nThe meeting was informed that after approval from the federal cabinet, the budget 2023-24 would be presented on June 9.
\nIt was also informed that Pakistan\u2019s economy was inching towards stability and the fiscal deficit was continuously declining.
\nPM Shehbaz, expressing satisfaction over the performance on economic front said, due to better economic policies, the country\u2019s current account balance turned to surplus after several year and was showing surplus for last two months.
\nHe also expressed satisfaction over the declining trend in the Urea fertilizer prices saying that it became possible only due to the government\u2019s timely action.
\nHe said availability of the fertilizer at affordable price would not only ensure prosperity of the farmers but the country would also move towards self-sufficiency in the agriculture commodities. Furthermore, the prime minister also directed to finalize the pension reforms as soon as possible.
\nHe said a pension fund should be established by adopting innovative methods to ensure minimum financial burden on the national exchequer. Shehbaz Sharif said after the pension reforms, welfare of the pensioners would also be ensured.
\nHe also directed to take practical steps to expand the tax net and raise the tax revenues.
\nMinister for Finance and Revenue Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Advisor Ahad Cheema, Minister of State for Petroleum Musadiq Malik, Special Assistants to PM Dr Jehanzeb Khan, Malik Ahmad Khan, Tariq Pasha, Tariq Bajwa, Attalulla Tarrar, MNA Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue and other officials attended the meeting.
\nQuality infrastructure, transport facilities to residents of Islamabad
\nPrime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that practical steps were being taken for provision of best infrastructure and transport facilities to the residents of Islamabad.
\nThe prime minister directed the relevant authorities to make efforts for extending global standard facilities to the citizens of the capital.
\nThe prime minister chaired a meeting on the development projects of Islamabad. The meeting was attended by Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah, PM\u2019s adviser Ahad Cheema, PM\u2019s special assistant Tariq Bajwa, Hanif Abbasi, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Anjum Aqeel, former MNAs, chairman Capital Development Authority, secretaries and other senior officials, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
\nThe prime minister also directed for acceleration of pace on the ongoing development projects without compromising on transparency and quality work.
\nThe meeting was apprised that in the rural areas of Islamabad, work on Rs10 billion package was being carried out which would bring a new era of development in these areas.
\nFor improvement of the transport system in Islamabad, a total of 160 electric buses would run on different routes while 30 electric buses out of this batch would arrive by the mid of June to ply on two routes.
\nAddressing the participants, the prime minister said that overseas Pakistanis were the precious assets of the country and their welfare was among the top priorities of the government. <\/p>\n
The meeting was apprised that a number of housing units equipped with the latest facilities were being constructed in the federal capital for the overseas Pakistanis while residential schemes for expatriates were also initiated in which they would be provided with concession of 15 percent over full payment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed the government\u2019s economic team to utilize all possible resources to provide maximum relief to common man in the budget for upcoming fiscal year 2023-24. Chairing a meeting here to review the budget 2023-24 preparations, he ordered to take every possible step to minimize the financial crisis of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":310677,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-333020","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n