PM Shehbaz urges measures to prevent spread of mpox – Pakistan

• Wants measures to improve the profitability of SMEs
• Welcomes the support of Saudi Arabia, China and the UAE for the IMF facility
• Says that the tax on the salary class can fall in the form of lower inflation

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that all necessary precautions should be taken to prevent mpox. He directed the officials concerned to create awareness among the public about the preventive measures.

During a meeting on the topic, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of vigilance and preparedness to prevent the virus from spreading in the country.

At another meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz called for measures to increase the capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and thus boost their profitability.

He also expressed his appreciation to friendly countries, including Saudi Arabia, China and the United Arab Emirates, for their support in making the IMF loan possible.

The prime minister ordered strict scanning at all airports, seaports and land border crossings to detect possible cases of mpox.

He noted that Pakistan is not currently facing an MPOX-related emergency, but stressed the need for continued preparedness, particularly by the Ministry of Health and the National Disaster Management Authority.

He called for the establishment of quarantine centres across the country to accommodate the affected persons.

The meeting was informed that Pakistan had so far recorded only five cases, all diagnosed after these persons arrived from abroad. It was said that around 600,000 people had been screened so far as a precautionary measure.

Prime Minister Shehbaz, who chaired a meeting of the steering committee of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, said measures to boost SME exports are inevitable for the national economy.

While stressing the role of women in the national economy, the Prime Minister requested the concerned authorities to involve women entrepreneurs in decision-making regarding SMEs.

He also called for raising the standards for export products and bringing them on par with international practices and for bringing in experts with international reputation to improve this sector.

Economic policy

Addressing the young PML-N MPs, the prime minister said positive indicators including lower policy rates and inflation, increased remittances and agricultural exports and continued efforts to boost IT exports show that the government’s economic policies are moving in the right direction.

He said the two percent policy rate cut announced the day before was a major relief for industrialists, investors, farmers and exporters, and expressed hope for further cuts.

The IMF’s announcement on September 25 to discuss the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for Pakistan was also a positive development, he added.

The prime minister noted that inflation had fallen to 9.6% from 38% last year and that remittances from foreigners and agricultural exports had soared.

The government also aimed to promote IT exports, he said, appreciating the role of Information Minister Attaullah Tarar in strengthening the government’s performance. He said the IMF program was also achieved after tremendous efforts and tough decisions, such as imposing tax burden on the salary class, which could be reduced in the future in the form of reduced inflation.

He called on the country’s five million traders to contribute their share in tax collection, saying the government had brought agricultural farms under the tax net.

Curbing tax evasion was inevitable to wean the country off the IMF program, he said and prayed that it would be the last such facility. He appreciated the friendly countries including Saudi Arabia, China and the UAE for their support in paving the way for the IMF facility and also lauded the efforts of the government’s economic team, the army chief and everyone involved in the process.

The young parliamentarians made suggestions in the areas of governance and legislation, which the Prime Minister appreciated.

On Thursday, the prime minister joined 48 world leaders virtually to outline their expectations for the Summit of the Future, to be held in New York this month, which emphasized “effective” international cooperation to tackle global challenges, including the growing debt burden of developing countries.

“The Summit of the Future represents a tremendous opportunity. We cannot miss it!” the prime minister told the live virtual event as part of a global call to action to support the once-in-a-generation UN summit, which begins on September 22.

More than 130 heads of state and government are expected to attend this important event, which takes place just ahead of the annual debate at the UN General Assembly, which starts on September 24.

Published in Dawn, September 14, 2024