Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday approved a proposal to ban export of sugar.
The summary has been sent to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) after approval of the prime minister. After the decision, export of some 350,000 tons of sugar will be halted. Furthermore, the government will also import sugar to meet the demand and supply gap. A summary for import of sugar has already been sent to the ECC.
The price of sugar, an essential ingredient in Pakistani cuisine, witnessed 10 rupees per kilogram hike in a week recently, as the wholesale rate of the commodity rose from Rs 64 to Rs 74 per kg and an acute shortage of the commodity surfaced across the country.
Separately, Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to expand the scope of his initiative of Panagah across Pakistan with a vision to develop the country as an Islamic welfare state by giving a cover of social protection to the poor segments of the society.
The prime minister, in a meeting with newly appointed focal person on Panagah Naseem-ur-Rehman, discussed the administration of shelter homes and the steps to expand the project during the next 12 months, a PM Office statement said. He said the social protection of the poor people was the government’s responsibility and active participation of the private sector in the establishment of shelter homes depicted the positive values and human compassion in the Pakistani society. A 12-month-long comprehensive programme will be launched in all major cities across the country under which the shelter homes project will be expanded while following the best practices and the sustainable development goals.
The office of the focal person will also help establishment of a multifaceted partnership with the non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, private sector and the philanthropists.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed formulating a comprehensive roadmap for development of information technology sector in the country within a week. The key areas include launch of 5G spectrum, connecting mobile phone towers through fiberization in big cities and defining timelines of other important matters to remove impediments in promotion of the IT sector.The prime minister issued the directive while chairing a meeting on promotion of information technology, attended by Commerce Adviser Abdul Razak Dawood, PM’s Special Assistant Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Prime Minister Task Force for IT and Telecom Co-chairman Dr Ata ur Rehman, and secretaries of information technology, commerce, cabinet and finance divisions.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said the country’s future is linked with the information technology and the government is giving priority to promotion of the sector by providing incentives to the skilled youth. He said the country’s youth has immense talent and expertise in the IT and the promotion of this sector will create millions of jobs for them.
Secretary Information Technology Shoaib Siddiqi briefed the prime minister about giving incentives to the skilled professional youth and freelancers, increasing exports of the IT sector and tax incentives, easy loans to the youth, facilitation of foreign remittance process for freelancers and visa-related matters. He said a comprehensive plan has been chalked out for the promotion of IT sector, for which relevant departments have been assigned duties.
A representative of the State Bank of Pakistan said for freelancers, the process on implementing decision on increasing monthly limit of foreign remittance to $25,000 will be completed in two days. It has been ensured that freelancers be given maximum incentives on the received amount and also the exchange of foreign currency into local currency be made at inter-bank rate, he said.
The meeting was told that e-payment gateway will be established by April.
A representative of the Federal Bureau of Revenue gave a briefing on tax incentives to the IT sector.
Separately, Direct General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Faiz Hamid on Friday called on Prime Minister Imran Khan at the PM Office. Security issues were discussed during the meeting, a press release issued by the PM Media Office said.
