AsiaNet-Pakistan Premier Editorial Content and Press Release Distribution Service
Lahore, December 05, 2013 (PPI-OT): Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) on Thursday termed government decision to establish nuclear power plants as a giant leap towards progress and prosperity.
In a statement on return from a month-long foreign visit, the PIAF Chairman Malik Tahir Javed said that the decisions taken by the Prime Minister would help accelerate economic activities besides bringing down the graph of unemployment.
He said that after completion of the announced nuclear power plants, industry would have sufficient cheap electricity to run their operations. He said that energy was the engine of growth and cheap electricity would make our industry competitive in the international market.
The PIAF Chairman said that the decision to constitute Advisory Committees on business and agriculture would enable the government to have a true picture of state of affairs in these two vital components of the economy. He said that Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif has won the hearts of business community as it was their long standing demand to include stakeholders in policy making process.
Malik Tahir Javed said that the pace of Pakistan’s economic growth is very low as compared to other regional players therefore the Prime Minister’s decision to apply collective wisdom to bring the economy out of woods was a step in desired direction.
But, he said, to ensure consistency in policies, all tiers of the government would have to work tirelessly.
He said that reinitiating Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project would send a good message to the foreign businessmen who were now focusing other regional markets to fulfil their needs.
He, however, urged the government to expedite work on this mega project of vital national interest as Pakistan lost about two per cent of its GDP only because of shortage of electricity and gas. “Had the shortage been not there, the country economic scenario would have been quite different.”
He said that the government should utilize all available resources for the completion of Pak-Iran gas pipeline project in the year 2014 to cover the delay.
He said that the expedited business and economic activities would also enable bigger revenues to run the affairs of the country in a winsome manner. He said that it was very unfortunate that a resourceful country is far behind in economic terms while much smaller countries than Pakistan are earning huge revenues through exports.
He said that if all the segments of the economy are taxed and the amount is rightly recovered, the government would be able to bring down the rate sales tax that is considerably high.
The PIAF Chairman urged the government to start work dams including Kalabagh to avoid the threat of water and power shortage. He said that government should also ensure early completion of Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline project keeping in view the squeezing gas reservoirs.
For more information, Contact:
Khalil-ur-Rehman
Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front
110/s Kot Lakhpat Industrial Estate
Lahore, Pakistan
Phone: (92) 42 5123522
Fax: (92) 42 5123522
Email: Info@piaf.pk