- Advertisement -
LAHORE, Feb 26 (APP):Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) on Monday congratulated Maryam Nawaz Sharif to sworn as 20th Chief Minister of Punjab also being a first woman on this prestigious position with a challenging role for the well-being of the people and business community of the province.
In a media statement issued here, the PBF President Khawaja Mahboob ur Rehman, Chief Organiser, Ahmad Jawad, Chairman Punjab Muhammad Naseer Malik, Chairman South Punjab Malik Suhail Talat welcomed the vision of the new Chief Minister in her first speech in the Punjab Assembly in which she announced to make Punjab an economic hub.
They also commended the initiatives announced by her as such as formulation of policies to ease of doing business for investors, activation of price control committees, launch of Ramdzan package ‘Nighebaan’, restarting Ramadan and model bazaars, up-gradation of government school infrastructure and curriculum, introduction of Punjab’s first air ambulance service, establishment of at least one Daanish school in every district, equally quality education in public and private schools, implementation of school transport system, plan
for state-of-the-art hospitals in every city of Punjab with the provision of free medicines in emergency departments of public hospitals.
The PBF office-bearers also appreciated Maryam Nawaz’s vision for a digital Punjab with free Wi-Fi in major cities and resumption of e-library project, provision of more soft loans for females compared to males, working women hostels and initiatives for agricultural reforms including provision of free livestock for small farmers and establishing of more IT parks in Punjab.
They, however, called for effective measures to strengthen rupee value against the US dollar, citing that economy cannot grow at existing USD rate of Rs 280. They also demanded the upcoming federal government to reduce the interest rate as nobody would invest at an interest rate of up to 24 percent.
They also stressed the need for expanding export base and addressing the structural imbalance, as Pakistan needs higher levels of investment alongside holistic policy reforms which give confidence to investors and the markets.
The PBF office-bearers added that tax net expansion has become inevitable, besides simplification of the taxation system and apprising the people about the benefits of being filer.
They were of the view that industrialization is impossible without reducing the cost of production for which collective and effective steps are needed to be put in order.
They said that it is very important to pay attention to the substitution of imports.