Shehbaz orders measures to curb wheat smuggling, theft

Spokesman Report

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that as Pakistan offered huge opportunities of investment in technology sector, foreign tech companies would be facilitated in all respects with regards to investment and expansion. The current government intends to increase the IT exports of Pakistan from USD 1.5 billion to USD 15 billion in the coming year and for that close collaboration with Huawei will result in the provision of training to the youth of Pakistan through various mean including setting up a university, he added.

The Prime Minister said this in a meeting with Yi Xiang, Senior Vice President of the Middle East and Africa Region of Huawei. He emphasized that investments in tech sector would increase employment and skills enhancement of Pakistani youth, especially women as the government was focused on increasing the number of women in e-commerce sector by providing them the suitable environment to get themselves trained and raise capital, a press release issued by the PM Media Wing here said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also on Friday directed the authorities concerned to formulate an urgent strategy against the corruption and theft of wheat and for the construction of the silos for storage. The prime minister, chairing a high-level meeting to examine the wheat production, available stock and expected consumption, said the construction of the silos would help curb theft and corruption.

He told the meeting that despite being an agricultural country, Pakistan had been compelled to import wheat instead of meeting its own needs, just due to the wrong decisions and delayed strategies. The meeting was told that wheat production of 26.173 million metric tons was expected this year against the target of 28.89 million metric tons while the estimated consumption would be around 30.79 million metric tons.

It was told that reduced wheat cultivation, water shortage, fertilizer crisis due to the mismanagement by the previous government, and delayed announcement of wheat support price led to the reduced production of wheat by two percent. The oil price hike and early rise in temperature due to climate change were also among the factors impeding the achievement of the wheat production target. The prime minister was also apprised of relief measures taken by the incumbent government including subsidy on wheat supply to flour mills, availability of 10kg flour bag at Rs 400 and provision of 200,000 metric tons wheat to KP.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also held a meeting with Minister for Finance Miftah Ismail and discussed measures for providing relief to the people.  The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction about the present price of sugar and said the price of sugar came down after three years which was relief to the people. He issued direction to provide cash credit to Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) for buying of wheat. The Secretary Finance was also present in the meeting.