ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Miftah Ismail has said that the revenue collection by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is constantly improving and it is on course to achieve the revenue target.
In a meeting with senior representatives of foreign banks, he said that said the country likely to achieve 6 percent GDP growth target for fiscal year 2017-18. He said that the government is committed to contain the fiscal deficit with steady increase in revenue as well as a prudent spending policy.
He said the rising trend in exports was really encouraging and it is expected that the current account gap would narrow down in the last few months of the financial year.
The adviser said that the government had undertaken a number of energy projects which had helped resolve the issue of power shortage in the country and in coming months the situation would further improve with new power stations becoming functional.
He said smooth supply of energy to different industries was having a positive impact on economy and spurred economic and trade activities.
Miftah also shared the details of the recent developments in the context of FATF meeting in Paris. He said that Pakistan had already taken a number of measures to prevent terror financing and would continue to do so in its own national interest. He said that such efforts would continue with the active help and support of the financial sector of Pakistan.
He said that in the last few years Pakistan had worked with the international community to improve its legal framework and the policy of engagement would continue with a view to address certain misperceptions.
Representatives of foreign banks expressed appreciation of the steps taken by the PML-N Government for strengthening of the economy and said banks would keep playing their due role in the country’s economy. Senior officials of the Ministry of Finance also attended the meeting.
