By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed making maximum efforts to bring improvements in subsidies’ system.
PM Imran Khan chaired a high-level meeting for reviewing measures for improving subsidies system.
The premier exchanged views on the provision of direct and indirect subsidies to different sectors besides reviewing the flaws in the current system and expenditures of the government.
A briefing was given to PM Imran Khan by a think tank regarding plans for overhauling the current subsidy system.
During the meeting, Imran Khan said that the federal government is bearing the financial burden worth trillions in term of subsidies.
He added that the government’s priorities are very clear regarding the current system and maximum efforts must be made for improving it.
Earlier in August, PM Imran Khan had said that the government was taking all-out measures to make subsidy system more transparent, effective and targeted.
Presiding over a meeting, PM Imran had issued directives to ensure effective utilisation of subsidies to give maximum relief to lower-income segments of the society. He maintained that fulfilling the requirements of poverty-stricken people was the government’s top priority.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar, National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) chairman and finance secretary and other officials had attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that promotion of business activities in the country is the top priority of the government.
Talking to a delegation of young businessmen who called on him in Karachi, PM Imran assured that the government will provide them all-out facilities and resolve the issues of traders.
“The government is committed to provide every possible facility to youth,” the prime minister added. He directed to ensure quality and standers of Pakistani products. Matters pertinent to ease of doing business, online approvals, loans on easy conditions and other issues were discussed in the meeting.Earlier on August 12, Prime Minister Imran Khan had reiterated that the federal government will continue its efforts to provide the maximum level of facilitation to the business community.
PM Imran Khan had made the promise with the business community while chairing a review session for ongoing housing projects in the country. During a briefing, the attendees had been told that the policies adopted by the federal government curbed coronavirus impacts besides improving the economic indicators.
The premier had been apprised that economic activities were resumed across the country after a major decline in COVID-19 cases.
Earlier, in a landmark decision regarding women prisoners, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday directed for immediate implementation of Supreme Court order for the release of undertrial women prisoners and convicted women prisoners.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said the decision to implement Supreme Court’s Order 299/2020 was taken after consultation with Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan and eminent lawyer Barrister Ali Zafar.
The prime minister has also asked for immediate reports on foreign women prisoners and women on death row for humanitarian consideration.
It is pertinent to mention here that Prime Minister Imran Khan had constituted a committee to assess and look into the plight of women incarcerated in prisons across the country.Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari was given four months’ time to pull off the task. Other members of the committee were secretaries of the Ministry of Human Rights, the Ministry of Interior, the Home Department of four provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan, Inspector General Prisons (provinces and GB), founder and the executive director of Justice Project Pakistan. It is required to suggest a comprehensive and workable system of governance in prisons in Pakistan to ameliorate the plight of women prisoners. The committee will review prison rules and other relevant laws with a view to suggesting gender specific changes in order to bring improvements for women inmates.
