ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance Asad Umar has said Pakistan has not yet decided to go to IMF for bailout package s the government is able to manage current economic situation.
He said level playing field would be given to Pakistani business community in CPEC projects and government is committed to resolve all issues faced by importers and exporters.
He was addressing the businessmen at Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry after inaugurating the newly-constructed Export Display Centre. He revealed that the government was working to separate the tax policy and tax connection functions as part of tax reforms to facilitate the taxpayers. He said a Tax Policy Board would be formed and business community would also be given representation in that Board.
Asad Umar said that ICCI should develop a Master Economic Plan of Islamabad keeping in view the natural endowments of this region and share it with the government so that the available endowments of the region could be exploited for the economic development of Islamabad. He said ICCI should also prepare recommendations to guide the government that which types of industries should be set up in the planned Especial Economic Zone (EEZ).
However, he said that Islamabad has good potential for ICT industry as 27 higher education institutes were producing educated youth including IT professionals in the federal capital.
Asad Umar said that the economy was undergoing bypass and would get improved with the efforts of the government. He said government was working on a plan to provide 100-million-gallon water per day to Islamabad that would resolve water shortage issue and would also benefit the local industry in Islamabad.
Addressing the gathering, ICCI President Sheikh Amir Waheed said that a new industrial estate was badly needed in Islamabad for industrialization as there was no further space in the available industrial estates for setting up new industries. He urged that the government should provide suitable land in Islamabad for this project.
He said almost 90 percent issues of trade and industry were related to CDA and government should appoint sitting President ICCI as member of CDA Board that would help smooth resolution of key issues of business community. He also briefed the Federal Minister for Finance about the purpose of constructing Export Display Centre and hoped that it would contribute towards promoting exports of the region.
Muhammad Naveed Malik Senior Vice President, Nisar Mirza Vice President ICCI, Zubair A. Malik, Abdul Rauf Alam, Khalid Javed, Tariq Sadiq, Mian Akram Farid, Khalid Iqbal Malik, Muhammad Ejaz Abbasi, Khalid Chaudhry and others also spoke at the occasion. At the end, Asad Umar awarded shields to Khalid Javed, Chairman EDC Construction Committee and other parties that contributed to complete Export Display Centre project.
