Govt prioritize for export-led growth in country: Ahsan Iqbal

Wed, 5 Jul 2023, 8:38 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jul 5 (APP):Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday said that introducing Pakistan as an export-led country in the world is the first priority of the present government.

The Minister said that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is significant in any economy and Pakistan is currently an attractive country for foreign investment.

Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal said this while addressing a press conference here.

Ahsan Iqbal said the meeting of the Apex Committee of the Special Council for Investment Facilitation was held under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and the political and military leadership participated in the apex committee.

He said the government formed this council to promote direct investment in Pakistan, adding that the volume of foreign direct investment in Pakistan is $1.5 billion now.

There are more than $2 trillion foreign direct investments in the world and every country is trying to become an attractive country for FDI.

He said a country can develop only through foreign direct investment and every developing country has resorted to foreign direct investment and also expanded its exports.

The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) became a tool to bring investments of up to $28 billion to Pakistan, he informed.

He said that “We were derailed due to the negative agenda of 2018 and now the world’s trust is being established in Pakistan again.

He said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement is having positive effects on Pakistan and now the country has a chance to take off again.

Ahsan said foreign investors will be given all facilities under one roof in five potential sectors, which have been identified under the planning.

He said that Agriculture is also a sector under this project, agriculture will be promoted .

He said the government will bring investment in modern farming and technology in the agriculture sector.
The Prime Minister will inaugurate the Agricultural Information Management System on July 7th of this month?

The government’s priority is to shift energy to fossil fuels in the energy sector, incentives will be given in solar energy, he said.

He said that the Information Technology (IT) sector is a potential sector, where youth can make a huge contribution in a country’s economy.

The Minister said the government’s main focus is to increase exports in the IT sector and hoped that there will be rapid development in the IT sector in Pakistan.

He said that “we need to pay attention in the mineral sector to maximize our exports.
Ahsan said that Pakistan Will go for a road show to invite the mining companies of the world to enhance the production
He added that defense production has the ability to export along with its requirements.

He said the government is willing to introduce the soft VISA regime and the policy will be revised to address difficulties in businessman’s visas.

The Ministry of Interior will give a report soon on the issue of visas.
“We will move relations with friendly countries towards investment instead of aid” he said.

Karachi Port handled 41.85 million tons of cargo in FY 2022-23

NNPS Desk

Wed, 5 Jul 2023, 8:20 PM

Karachi Port handled 41.85 million tons of cargo in FY 2022-23

KARACHI, Jul 05 (APP):The Karachi Port handled 41.85 million tons import and export cargo and 1.93 million TEUs containers during financial year 2022-23, and 51.71 million tons cargo and 2.21 million TEUs containers during the financial year 2021-22.

Dry cargo, both import and export, closed at 30.63 million tons while the liquid bulk cargo, both import and export, closed at 11.22 million tons at the end financial year 2022-23 as compared to 36.64 million tons of dry and 15.07 million tons of liquid bulk cargo during the financial year 2021-22., a press release said on Wednesday.

The breakup of the port operations showed that the volume of import cargo at the end of FY 2022-23 closed at 29.08 million tons as against 35.54 million tons in FY 2021-22. Similarly, liquid bulk cargo import registered 10.29 million tons in FY 2022-23 as compared to 14.07 million tons handled in FY 2021-22.

Likewise, export cargo of 12.78 million tons was handled at the port during FY 2022-23 as compared to 16.17 million tons in FY 2021-22.

The data of container handling at Karachi Port at the end of financial year 2022-23 showed that 1.93 million TEUs (twenty feet equivalent unit) containers of the import and export including all private container terminals were handled at the port as compared to 2.21 million TEUs FY 2021-22.

The number of import containers remained 0.97 million TEUs while number of export containers remained 0.97 million TEUs as well during FY 20223-23. The number of import and export containers was recorded 1.10 million TEUs and 1.11 million TEUs respectively a year ago.

Pakistan, Qatar to continue broadening their bilateral ties: PM

Irfan Khan

Wed, 5 Jul 2023, 8:19 PM

ISLAMABAD, July 5 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday hoped that the brotherly countries, Pakistan and the State of Qatar, would continue to broaden and deepen their bilateral relationship, particularly in trade and investment sectors.

The prime minister received Ambassador of the State of Qatar Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani for a farewell call, at the PM Office, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

The prime minister, expressing satisfaction at longstanding brotherly relations between the two countries, appreciated ambassador Thani’s sterling contribution in further strengthening the fraternal ties.

The prime minister particularly mentioned the recent visit of the delegation from Qatar Investment Authority as a manifestation of Qatar’s interest in investing in various sectors of Pakistan’s economy.

He noted the enhanced frequency of high-level interactions between the two countries and cooperation in the fields of food security, energy, IT, mining and defence.

Pakistan, Qatar to continue broadening their bilateral ties: PM

The prime minister wished ambassador Al-Thani all success in his future assignments. Ambassador Al-Thani thanked the government and people of Pakistan for their hospitality and warmth, that made his stay in Pakistan truly memorable.

Ambassador Thani arrived in Pakistan in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020 and would be leaving Pakistan this month upon completion of his diplomatic assignment.

PTA develops user friendly Complaint Management System to check uploading of unlawful online content

NNPS Desk

Wed, 5 Jul 2023, 8:07 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jul 5 (APP):In order to address formidable challenges in this era of social and digital media regarding the uploading of unlawful online content, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has developed a user friendly Complaint Management System (CMS), accessible at its website as well as through mobile app.

The CMS is available through the web link: http://complaint.pta.gov.pk/RegisterComplaint.aspx and can be downloaded at Play Store and Appstore.

According to an article written by a senior official of PTA, Muhammad Farooq, “Raising public awareness about the complaint registering mechanism provided by social media platforms, as well as the mechanism provided by PTA, will facilitate the lodging of complaints concerning unlawful online content”.

The article titled “The Role of Timely Reporting Unlawful Online Content” elaborates that any aggrieved person can lodge the complaint to PTA by selecting a relevant category such as Anti-State, Sectarian, etc while incomplete or wrong information may cause rejection of the complaint or delay in processing complaint.

For public guidance, a video “How to Report Unlawful Online Content” has been uploaded on PTA’s official Youtube channel (@ptaofficialpk).

Social media strive to ensure a safe platform for users through self-regulation, which involves the issuance of community guidelines and standards. It is essential for the public to familiarize themselves with these community standards/guidelines of these platforms.

These guidelines provide a framework of rules aimed at creating a safe environment for users to interact and share information. They also include advice on illegal and prohibited actions that may result in the permanent suspension of user accounts.

Timely reporting of unlawful content that goes against the community guidelines/standards is crucial for its early removal and the permanent banning of repeat offenders. Social Media (SM) platforms actively encourage users to approach them directly to seek missing or additional information needed for the timely resolution f issues.

PTA has provided a list of URLs for major SM platforms where complaints can be lodged that is accessible at (http://www.pta.gov.pk/assets/media/sm_platforms_09032020.pdf).

Additionally, WhatsApp, known for its end-to-end encryption, encourages its users to report unlawful content within the app itself. Users can do so by long-pressing the unlawful message and selecting the `report’ option.

Awareness of unlawful online content and its reporting to SM platforms/PTA will ensure safe, responsible and secure use of cyberspace, the article said.

In the past, broadcasters/telecasters held complete control over the content to be broadcasted or telecasted, ensuring the avoidance of inappropriate or unlawful programs.

However, with the emergence of the internet, this control has shifted to internet users, who can now easily upload and share their content online with just a few clicks. Consequently, the uploaded content becomes instantly accessible to millions of users worldwide.

The advent of this new era has presented formidable challenges, particularly in relation to the uploading and sharing of violent, harmful, and indecent content. Such content has the potential to significantly impact society at large without undergoing essential scrutiny by the concerned regulators.

Timely identification and removal of unlawful content is crucial in minimizing its impact. While social media companies employ Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms, these AI systems are still in the learning phase and require time to reach maturity.

Consequently, companies are currently dependent on a complaint-based mechanism, where the public reports unlawful content, and content moderators at the company’s end analyze the reported content.

Ahsan express satisfaction with recent IMF package

NNPS Desk

Wed, 5 Jul 2023, 7:35 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jul 5 (APP):Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday expressed satisfaction with the recent IMF package, which alleviated concerns of an immediate default.

However, he emphasized that the deal should be considered as a temporary relief and merely a breather, rather than a lasting solution.

During the “Beyond IMF Agreement: Challenges and Opportunities for Pakistan” Twitter space organized by the Planning Ministry, the minister conveyed his views to a global audience, said a press release issued here.

In June, Pakistan secured a $3 billion short-term financial package from the IMF, in recognition of the consistent efforts of the current government, which took office in April 2022.

Minister Iqbal described this as a much-needed respite that restored investor confidence.

However, he stressed the need for structural reforms to ensure long-term sustainability and capitalize on this breathing space.

The minister pointed out that the deal was necessary due to a severe balance of payment crisis in 2022, caused by poor policies of the previous government.

He noted that the country experienced its worst deficit of $50 billion after allowing imports worth $84 billion.

The minister emphasized the importance of introspection and pursuing development for the country, rather than merely celebrating the deal.

It is worth mentioning that following the IMF deal, the country’s stock market experienced a significant upswing, with renewed confidence from investors.

Additionally, the Pakistani rupee gained against the US dollar in the interbank market he said, adding that if the business continued as usual, the positive momentum could be lost.

He stressed the necessity of implementing structural reforms to guide the country onto a sustainable path and achieve desired results in the long term.

These policies should be maintained regardless of which government was in power, he added.

Highlighting the achievements of the current government, the minister mentioned that since assuming the charge of office, they had been focused on addressing immediate challenges.

The Planning Ministry successfully conducted a turnaround conference in June last year, leading to the development of a comprehensive 5Es framework.

This multipronged strategy aims to propel Pakistan towards sustained growth and focuses on Exports, E-Pakistan, Environment and Climate Change, Energy & Infrastructure, and Equity and Empowerment.

The minister also highlighted various key initiatives undertaken within one year to drive the country’s development despite limited resources.

These initiatives include development of 20 of Pakistan’s poorest districts with an allocation of Rs 40 billion, PM Youth Initiatives, the revival of CPEC, reinstating the laptops scheme for students, the Governance Innovation Lab, and the completion of several infrastructure projects.