Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said the government has promulgated an ordinance, insulating the businessmen from any action by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
“Our contention is that NAB’s job is to hold the scrutiny of public office-holders. For the scrutiny of businessmen, there are other institutions, including the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR),” he said, and congratulated the business community on the development.
Highlighting the importance of traders and investors in turning Pakistan into an economically strong and welfare state as envisioned by the country’s founding fathers, Prime Minister Imran Khan said the government will extend all possible facilities to the business community in that respect. “Our Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was also a trader,” he said while speaking at the award distribution ceremony of Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).
Top 25 companies were given awards on the occasion.
The prime minister said the vision of Pakistan, which was also provided in the Objectives Resolution, was based on the principles of State of Madina. The two basic fundamentals of that vision, he said, were compassion and justice. Any country can turn into an independent and great nation by following the two principles. “The State of Madina, which was run on those two basic fundamentals, defeated the two superpowers of that era and transformed the Muslims into a great nation that ruled the world for 700 years,” he said, adding that the same vision provided a direction and roadmap to achieve the objectives of Pakistan’s creation, and the businessmen and traders have an important role in this regard through wealth creation. He cited a modern-era example of China, which focused on trade and wealth creation and lifted 700 million people out of poverty in 30 years. The government’s job is to facilitate and the traders have to focus on wealth creation, he stressed.
The prime minister said the present government during the last one year alone has got the country improved in terms of ease of doing business in the world by 28 points as against the previous government’s 2013-18 tenure when Pakistan was put on the brink of economic and institutional collapse. Rejecting the criticism over him for referring to the past situation, he said his government did not inherit the economy of Sweden, rather the country was faced with the situation of Rs 30 trillion loans. He said besides presenting his government’s performance before the nation, he will continue to remind the people of past economic situation over the next four years.
Assuring the traders of more steps for ‘ease of doing business’, Prime Minister Imran Khan said if the businessmen and investors prosper, the country will flourish and achieve economic growth and development. He said the introduction of socialist system, though it was better in terms of welfare of masses, in 1960s changed the mindset and profit-making was considered as a bad thing. “There is a difference between profiteering and profit-making,” he said, adding that his government is changing that mindset to attract the investors.
The prime minister said 2019 was a difficult year for the government, which despite the challenges of depleting foreign exchange reserves, pressure on rupee, repayment of $ 10 billion loans and fear of default, stabilized the economy. “But now with the incentives for industry and specially focusing on the revival of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), 2020 will be the year of growth and jobs creation through encouraging investors,” he added.
Imran Khan referred to a report of the UK-based Conde Nast magazine, which listed Pakistan as a top travel and tourism destination, and stressed on the need of exploring and exploiting that huge potential. Only the Northern Areas of Pakistan are double in size than Switzerland which earns $80 billion per annum from tourism, he said, adding that Pakistan having historic religious and heritage sites across the country as well as sandy beaches at the Makran Coast has a lot of tourism potential. The prime minister urged the business community to explore and exploit the avenue of tourism by investing in the development of tourist resorts in the country. Separately, Prime Minister Imran Khan urged the PTI members of national and provincial assemblies belonging to Sindh to focus on the resolution of problems faced by the people of their respective constituencies.
Talking to the party legislators, he said the PTI’s long struggle was aimed at serving the poor masses and protecting them, and the members should specially focus on the areas of interior Sindh, which were faced with the utmost poverty. He said the opposition is making a hue and cry because of their corruption caught by the government.
