The Government has banned import of non-essential and luxury items to control inflation, stabilize foreign exchange reserves, strengthen economy, and reduce country’s reliance on imports.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb announced this while addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Thursday evening.
She said luxury imported items, including vehicles, mobile phones, home appliances, dry and fresh fruits, crockery, private weapons, decoration items, preserved and frozen food items, sanitary ware, doors and windows, beauty and confectionary items.
The Minister said the government is working on an emergency fiscal plan and economic management and annual impact of these steps will be around six billion dollars. She said it will also help reduce Current Account Deficit. She said the prime objective of these measures are aimed at reducing reliance on imports and introduce export oriented policy to promote local industry in the country. She said a plan is also being prepared to promote local manufacturers so that people will be provided employment opportunities.
The Minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is making strenuous efforts to provide relief to the common people. She said those, who are questioning the performance of a four-week government, should be ashamed of this approach. She said the dollar rate was 115 rupees when PML-N left the government, while the last government of PTI took this price to 189 rupees. She said it was former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who successfully completed the IMF programme in 2015 and included Pakistan in global emerging markets. She said the last government gave unfunded subsidy on petroleum products to paralyse Pakistan’s economy.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said the government is also taking measures to improve energy situation in the country.
Answering a question, Marriyum Aurangzeb said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will address the nation in a couple of days.
Replying to a question, she said no can give a deadline for elections, except the government, after consultation with its allies. She said anyone talking of a bloody march should keep it in mind that the law will not spare such elements.
Source: Radio Pakistan