Daily Times

Taking a dig at the PML-N leadership, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said the previous rulers bought flats in London from kickbacks received from road construction projects.

“We are building three times more roads than the previous government did. And we are building them at low cost as well. Because, commissions from these roads are not being used to buy flats in London,” the prime minister said while speaking at the Sialkot-Kharian motorway groundbreaking ceremony, as he told Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry to highlight this.

The prime minister said industrialization as well as promotion of tourism are inevitable to repay debts through boosting exports and wealth creation. The prime minister, who earlier unveiled the plaque to break ground for 69-kilometer motorway, said the area has immense potential for industrialization, so it is direly needed to incentivize the industrial sector to bring about a boom in exports and to increase revenue. He said the government is committed to facilitate the small and medium enterprises sector by easing their approval processes, and also assured the National Highway Authority to support them for swift approval of public-private partnership projects.

The prime minister said SMEs are the backbone of the national economy but unfortunately, they had to face impediments for their approval processes. He said additional 100 km stretch of M-2 motorway cost burden on economy in the form of imported fuel besides maintenance cost of vehicles during last 20 years. He said the public-private partnership mode would help save development fund which would be spent on other public welfare projects.

Lauding PTI government’s project of Swat motorway, the prime minister said owing to the project, around 2.7 million people had visited the area during Eid days. He said the country could generate huge revenue through prudent policies like promotion of tourism considering country’s huge potential.

Khan said so far the country was looking at the domestic tourism but once the road between Swat and Gilgit would be constructed, it would attract foreign tourists thus bringing foreign exchange. He said the tourism could fill the dollar gap until country’s exports reach to the desired level.

Separately, Prime Minister Imran Khan, reiterating his government’s commitment to facilitate the investors, directed the authorities concerned for launch of one-window portal for local and foreign investors.

Chairing a meeting to discuss enhancement of investment in special economic zones, the prime minister also called for consultation and coordination among all stakeholders regarding the portal. He said the government was actively working to remove all impediments, faced by the local and foreign investors in order to achieve industrial growth.

The meeting was informed that a one-window portal was being developed by the Board of Investment to address the difficulties faced by the investors. The portal would not only assist in obtaining the administrative and legal approvals but also help in provision of facilities to the industrial sector.