Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Faisal Subzwari has warned that the budget for the next fiscal year will be tough.
Addressing a ceremony on Wednesday, he said that each government getting the levy tax should reduce the petrol price. “Development expenditures are increasing at a fast pace. The prime minister has rightly called for a grand dialogue,” he maintained.
The minister claimed that the government is providing jobs to 2,000 fishermen. “We have to further expand business to support the economy. We have clarified that the local bodies’ elections should be held after a fresh census,” he added.
He said that the country is facing water shortage. “There is less water in the rivers and the tails are also receiving less water.”
Subzwari thanked the World Bank and other partners for supporting the country for the blue economy. “We will have to pay attention to the blue economy,” he added.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Senator Syed Faisal Ali Sabzwari Wednesday said that it’s World Ocean Day and the country was having huge marine resources which can be utilized for development of the country.
He expressed these views while addressing the “Blue Economy Development Roadmap Visioning Consultative Workshop” held in wake of World Ocean Day 2022 which was organized by ministry of Maritime Affairs here at local hotel.
He further informed that we are committed to protect marine life and support the stakeholders related to this sector, adding that the government will support two thousand fishermen so that they can get decent jobs.
The existence of marine resources is no less than a blessing for the country and he suggested all stakeholders to sit and work together to get the benefits of these resources, the minister added.
The industrial sectors in the metropolitan city are dumping waste in the sea and from Marina Club to Port Qasim, it seemed that it was filled with sewage water, the federal minister mentioned, saying that it is polluting the marine ecosystem and we are all responsible for dumping garbage in the sea and we have to clean the sea to improve marine life.
Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world and we need to export our products like cotton, wheat and rice, Pakistan is the most important market in the world, adding he said we also use fishery for commercial purposes as we need to expand more businesses to support the economy.
Fishery sector is a provincial department and he went to the Chief Minister of Sindh where he has informed CM Sindh about the some programs related to fishery sector.
We have made it clear that local body elections should not be held without a census, he told, informing that overall, there is a shortage of water and if there is less water in the rivers so there would be less water on the tail as the water has to come from the mountains.
Additional Secretary Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Asad Rafi told that they collaborated with World Bank to improve the marine ecosystem in the country.
Millions gallons of sewage is being dumped in the sea which is affecting the marine life, he told, informing that they are not getting much benefits from these resources as other countries are getting.
Other speakers mentioned that fishery sector, marine tourism, coastal development, shipping industry and pollution management are main sectors of blue economy.
The objectives of Social development can be achieved through fisheries and other sectors, they told. Besides, the country has diverse tourism resources for supporting the local economy.
Shipping industry has experienced experts and Marine academy is producing huge resources and moreover, anti-piracy efforts are appreciated in the region, they added.
