Govt taking steps for facilitating the industrialists: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the government is taking all possible steps to facilitate the business community and industrialists.
The Prime Minister was talking to a delegation of industrialists who called on him in Islamabad on Thursday.
He said the promotion of domestic industry would create employment opportunities along with increasing exports that would generate foreign exchange which could be spent on public welfare projects.
The delegation presented different proposals on increasing exports, promotion of local industry and reforms in the tax system.
The Prime Minister issued instructions to the concerned ministries and the FBR on the proposals given by the delegation.
Separately, Prime Minister Imran Khan has summoned a meeting of the parliamentary parties which are part of the federal coalition on Friday.
The meeting would be held at 3:00pm within the Parliament House. The Prime Minister has summoned members of the parliamentary members hailing from coalition parties.
The Prime Minister will give a guideline to the PTI and coalition parties in the meeting, which would also be addressed by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and others.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government has put Pakistan on the path of stability.
Speaking with his Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan, who called on him at the Prime Minister’s Office, the Premier said that state institutions are dear to the nation.
The Prime Minister said the incumbent government revamped the national economy that had been destroyed by money launderers. “Those who siphoned off national wealth are just looking for NRO,” he maintained.
Babar Awan said the narrative against institutions is neither in the interest of the country nor the nation in any way. The public stands by state institutions, he said, vowing to fully defend them. He said the government is heading in the right direction with better economic measures put in place.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed for providing best and quality services to deserving people staying at shelter homes across Pakistan.
Visiting a Panahgah (shelter home) here at Peshawar Morr on Thursday, the Prime Minister especially advised to take care of the people residing there.
The Prime Minister also interacted with the people at the Panahgah and inquired about facilities being provided to them at the shelter homes. He also visited the kitchen of the Shelter Home to inspect the quality of services. The Prime Minister also ate the food, being provided to the people.
The concept of Panahgah has been taken from Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of compassion to facilitate the destitute and helpless people, while upholding their self-respect.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the authorities concerned to make the process of issuance of no-objection certificate (NOC) in the construction sector transparent, easy and quick to facilitate the investors.
The Prime Minister said this while chairing a meeting of the National Coordination Committee on Housing, Construction and Development here on Thursday.
The Prime Minister was informed that 112 companies and individuals have so far been registered with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), which would start work on 123 housing and construction projects.
The weekly meeting was briefed by the Chairman FBR regarding the online registration system and awareness seminars. The meeting was told that awareness seminars [about the housing and construction projects] have already been organized in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.
The chief secretary Sindh told the meeting that a one-window portal for investors was in place under which 19 projects for the province have been approved, while No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for 75 projects have been issued. It was further told that for monitoring of the projects, a committee that also included private sector representatives has already been notified.
The chief secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa told the meeting that with a reasonable increase in the sale of cement, bricks and steel, the total investment in housing and construction projects in the province has reached Rs83 billion.
Governor State Bank Reza Baqir told the meeting that the consultation process with all the private banks regarding easy instalments has been completed and their reservations have been removed. – TLTP