PRIME Minister Imran Khan has reconstituted a 25-member Economic Advisory Council (EAC) with induction of prominent businessmen, including former finance minister Shaukat Tareen, to ensure availability of best possible professional advice to PTI government on its economic policies.
It will give recommendations on macro-economic stabilisation measures and carry forward the reform agenda for robust and sustained economic growth.
Hitherto, such forums have not proved any worth more than debating clubs as role of the advisory council is confined only to recommendations and it is up to the government to implement them or not.
However, unlike the past Prime Minister Imran Khan is now himself heading the EAC.
This indicates PM’s seriousness to address economic problems of the country and we are confident that suggestions to be furnished at this high level forum will now also get due weight and will be put into practice.
The PTI government has completed half of its tenure and is now left with little time to show its performance to people.
Currently, most pressing issue is steep price hike, which has greatly hurt the common man.
Given current situation of pandemic, our authorities should again sit with the IMF to get relaxed the conditions so that genuine relief could be extended to the people.
On dictation of financial institution, there should not be any further increase in power tariff as it amounts to rubbing more salt on wounds of the poor people and that also hampers industrial growth.
The focus should be putting the house in order especially to improve recoveries in power sector and address the issue of power theft and lines losses.
The EAC should evolve a mechanism to do away with ballooning circular debt.
Reforms in loss making state owned enterprises must also be accelerated, as national exchequer can no longer afford their financial burden.
