By Asim Hussain
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Senator Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry on Friday appreciated the government’s public welfare initiatives and the budgetary allocations for the fiscal year 2021-22.
Participating in the budget debate in the Senate, he said the government had taken remarkable steps for promotion of the agriculture sector, which was considered the backbone of the national economy.
He said that around 65-70 percent population of the country was associated with the agriculture sector and alone 8.4 million women were working in Punjab fields to produce various crops. The Senator said it was the hallmark of the PTI government that all crops remained in profit during the last three years due to its farmer-friendly policies; however, there could be some issue with meeting the set targets.
He said that this year, around Rs1100 billion had been injected in the agrarian economy, besides billions of rupees interest-free loans were being given to the farming community for purchase of fertilizer and agriculture related equipment to increase their production. He also appreciated the government for providing housing facilities to low-income groups, and highlighted the importance of expanding the tax-base to collect maximum revenue.
Ejaz said Prime Minister Imran Khan drastically reduced the expenses of the Prime Minister House and Office under the government’s austerity drive. Contrary to previous prime ministers, he said, Imran Khan had no camp office. He expressed the confidence that the country would be transformed into a true welfare state like Madina under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
