Pakistan to join top global economies of G20 by 2030: Ishaq Dar

ISLAMABAD, Jun 15 (APP): Minister for Finance Muhammad Ishaq
Dar Thursday said Pakistan would be part of elite club of leading
world economies G20 by 2030 according to predictions of
international financial institutions.
Speaking at a contract signing ceremony of “Broadband for
Sustainable Development Projects and National Incubation Centres”,
he said the distinction of the four year government of Pakistan
Muslim League(N) was that it ensured transparency and good
governance.
He emphasised that political pettiness should be buried and
everybody should join hands for taking forward Pakistan’s economy.
He said Pakistan signed agreements with Organization of
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2016, changed its
laws and made its financial systems compatible with global standards
to stop tax evasion.
He said Pakistan Muslim League(N) led by Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif delivered what it promised and put the country on the path of
sustainable prosperity.
In April, he said, he met members of Pakistan-US Business
Council in Washington and exchanged views with leading companies.
The businessmen of United States expressed confidence in the
policies of PMLN government and appreciated its transparency in
grant of projects.
Ishaq Dar challenged that nobody could prove any financial
irregularity of the government in its last four years.
He said the government had vigorously implemented its policies
and took steps for digital and financial inclusion of Pakistanis
especially its youth.
The plan was to digitally empower 50 percent of the country’s
adult population in coming years, the minister added.
He said in the new budget, incentives were announced for the
expansion of information technology industry.
He said the government would stay on and further strengthen
the economy of Pakistan despite all the negative talk of certain
quarters.
Ishaq urged the IT sector to work for increasing exports of
the country, adding the IT companies would get all out support of
the government.
He said four years back, Pakistan was on the verge of economic
collapse and faced bankruptcy but since 2013, the country’s economic
outlook improved and went from negative to stable to positive.
The minister said many enemies within and outside the country
did not want that Pakistan become sovereign and economically strong.
“We must defeat their designs. We have a clear vision for the
country and Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif have given a
roadmap of economic growth and development.”
He stressed that economy must be decoupled from politics.
“We should have one charter for economic progress of the
country. The government is working on implementing its 2018-2023
medium term economic strategy.”
The government had paid the loans taken during the periods of
Pervez Musharraf and Pakistan Peoples Party, he reminded.
He congratulated the IT companies for undertaking numerous
projects of information technology in a very short span of time.
Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication
Anusha Rahman Khan said the government would provide all kind of
support to companies that would build the National Incubation
Centres.
She told that the projects of Universal Service Fund for
underserved and unserved areas of Balochistan would benefit
population of 0.5 million and they would enjoy the facility of 3G
services.
In the next stage, broadband services would be provided to
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), she added.
She said according to plan of digital Pakistan envisioned by
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif every village of Pakistan would
be connected and get mobile phone services.
The minister said the incubation centres would be established
in Peshawar, Karachi and Lahore and would generate immense business
opportunities through joint ventures.