Prime Minister Imran Khan Saturday said that no nation in the world can aspire to excel or become successful without industrialization, and assured that the government will fully facilitate the small and medium industries, businessmen and industrialists with initiatives like ease of doing business.
Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony of Quaid-e-Azam business park as chief guest, the prime minister said during 60s, the country had been leading the region in terms of industrialization but afterwards lagged behind due to certain short-term policies. Referring to Singapore, he said it has $50,000 per capita income. “Those countries had planning but we lacked it. The countries like Malaysia and Korea borrowed the plans of industrialization and excelled, but Pakistan lagged behind,” he said. “Our only focus was on winning elections and short-term planning. I have strong conviction that our nation possesses huge potential in the whole region. During 60s, predictions were right that Pakistan can lead the region,” he added.
The prime minister appreciated the business-friendly steps taken by the Punjab government and said setting up nine economic zones and incentives-laden package by the provincial government are the steps in the right direction. He also appreciated the Punjab chief minister for the site of the park with Faisalabad and Lahore as being the two major hubs of business and assured him that the federal government would resolve all their issues.
The prime minster referring to complexities of systems in the country, further regretted that unfortunately, it is hampered with red tapes leading to its degeneration. Such hurdles created holdups in the way of development, he lamented. Sharing his experience while spearheading the affordable housing projects initiative for the common man, he said that an inbuilt system existed which did not let anyone to work easily and without hurdles. He said construction of 5 million affordable houses for the low-income groups is his government’s flagship programme and to expedite it, Naya Pakistan Housing Authority has been set up. He further said that during the last few months, he is personally supervising the initiative and regretted that difficulties in the system have chocked the development pace. “There was a battle within the system. For the common man wanted to start his small business, difficulties had been created through intricate system which often led to individuals’ discouragement,” he added.
The prime minister said when he was in the United Kingdom during his stay for studies or cricket activities, he saw how common man from Pakistan excelled after setting up their small business there, because the system facilitated them. He said for the first time in the country’s history, his government has given incentives to the construction industry. He assured that the government would provide all possible facilities to the small and medium industries to grow, adding that results of these policies might take some time but a right direction has been set.
He further informed that numerous Chinese companies had shown keen interest in this park, but wanted simplification of procedures. He termed the setting of one-window operation in the Quaid-e-Azam Business Park a right step to facilitate the investors and industrialists.
Separately, Prime Minister Imran Khan said they had faced immense difficulties during the current coronavirus pandemic due to negligence of the past regimes who had failed to accord due priority to the health sector. Keeping these factors insight, he said the government had introduced a comprehensive reform programme in the health sector.
The prime minister was chairing a meeting over the health sector in Punjab province. The prime minister was briefed about the ongoing and new proposed projects in the health sector.
Separately, Prime Minister Imran Khan assured that the government would fully meet the constitutional requirements for the establishment of South Punjab province and in this connection, a major step was taken in the shape of setting up South Punjab Secretariat by transferring the administrative powers. The prime minister was talking to a delegation of the members of parliament belonging to the South Punjab, PM office media wing in a press release said.
During the meeting, the prime minister also underlined the need for creation of separate financial commission for the South Punjab province which was required for its development. He said uplift of backward areas had been the top priority of his government and regretted that in the past, negligible funds were allocated for the development of such areas. He also directed for constitution of a committee comprising members from the federal and provincial level to look into relevant affairs for the establishment of South Punjab province and the constitutional requirements in this regard.
