PRIME Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Monday, said that economic stability and provision of relief to the public remained the government’s top priorities and all measures were being taken to not only provide immediate relief but also ensure long-term economic stability. Chairing a meeting to review austerity and relief measures in the backdrop of the regional situation, he said more steps are being considered to ensure economic preparedness of the country to meet the challenges ahead.
As the regional conflict lingers on, the Government has done well by deciding to hold almost daily high level meetings to assess the latest situation, its possible impact on the country and how to absorb the shock. The Government seems confident about effectiveness of the measures taken to ensure availability of petroleum products at fixed rates as is evident from addition of a feature to the Pak App enabling consumers to instantly report complaints about unavailability of fuel or its sale at higher rates anywhere in the country. However, there are no satisfactory arrangements to guard against shortages of LNG after the existing reserves are exhausted in mid-April. Similarly, the Government should make a prudent decision in the face of a renewed push by the sugar industry for export of about one million tonnes of sugar to the Gulf countries. Claims about surplus production proved misleading in the past and need to be verified minutely before allowing export and determining the quantity of export.
