Lawmakers in the National Assembly on Wednesday stressed the need for giving a boost to the industrial and agricultural production, keeping in view the international market standards and requirements, to put the national economy on consistent path of development.
They were of the view that there should be focus on export-oriented production as the country had immense potential in industrial and agricultural sectors to get due share in world markets.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQMP) MNA Engineer Sabir Hussain Kaim
Khani highlighted the importance of increasing the industrial and
agricultural production and their export after value addition to build up
the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
He said Pakistan should have signed agreements with potential countries to
boost its exports instead of getting loans aimed at achieving sustainable
economic growth.
He was of the view that there should be maximum presence of members of the
federal cabinet in the House and officials of all ministries in the
galleries to note budgetary proposals of the lawmakers for due consideration
and incorporation in the final fiscal plan before its passage from the
National Assembly.
He also urged members of both treasury and opposition benches to ensure
their active participation in the budget debate as the people had given them
mandate to discuss their issues in this august forum.
The lawmaker said there should be a productive debate that how a strategy
could be devised to ensure provision of basic amenities of life to the
public keeping in view limited available resources.
He said a number of countries had taken loan facilities from the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other financial institutions and
attained development, but it was unfortunate that in Pakistan the acquired
loans could not be judiciously utilized for the national development and
uplift of the common man.
He suggested the government to adopt drastic austerity measures to save the
precious energy and strengthen the national economy.
Chaudhry Muhammad Barjees Tahir of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)
said that Pakistan was agrarian countries but facing food security
challenges as the PTI government had badly ruined all the economic sectors
of the country, leading to the increasing inflation.
He said the incumbent government had prepared the fiscal plan in
consultation with its allies to lessen financial sufferings of the common
man.
