Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar has said that the budget proposals submitted by the business community would be given due consideration during the finalisation of the budget.

He was talking to the delegation of Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association (APTPMA), which called him on. The delegation was led by Zubair Motiwala. The delegation presented APTPMA’s budget-related proposals and tax-related matters to the finance minister.

The minister said that the government maintains regular and proactive interaction with representatives of various industries, the business and traders community, economic experts and chambers of commerce and industries, especially during budget preparations.

He said that the importance the government accords to the textile sector, as an important part of Pakistan’s economy, was evident from the Prime Minister’s Package of Incentives for Exporters worth Rs 180 billion announced earlier this year. He encouraged the textile industry to make productive use of the package in order to enhance the country’s exports.

The finance minister highlighted the 5.28% GDP growth rate achieved by Pakistan during FY 2016-17, which is a ten-year high. He also mentioned the report recently published by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which projected Pakistan to become the 20th largest economy by 2030 and the 16th largest economy by 2050. He encouraged all Pakistanis, including the textile industry, to play their due role in order to make this projection a reality.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Revenue Haroon Akhtar Khan, finance secretary, EAD secretary and senior officials of the Ministry of Finance and the EAD also participated in the meeting.