Ease of doing business govt's foremost priority: PM

Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday said ease of doing business, elimination of unnecessary regulations, improvement of tax system and maximum facilitation of businessmen involved in the process of industrialization was the government's foremost priority.

He was talking to a delegation of the country's renowned industrialists and representatives of Karachi's trade organizations here. The delegation comprised Mian Anjum Nisar, Shariq Wohra, Saleem-uz- Zaman, Faisal Moeez, Muhammad Ali, Abdul Hadi, Naveed Shakoor, Engineer Nisar, Ajmal Afzal and Zubair Baweja.

Federal Minister Asad Umar, Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood, Advisor on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Advisor Dr Ishrat Hussain, Board of

ISLAMABAD Investment (BOI) chairman, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman and other senior officers were in attendance. Governor Sindh Imran Ismail was also present in the meeting. Members of the delegation lauded the government for its policy and measures for the promotion of industrialization process in the country, particularly the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and for announcing Karachi package.

The delegation also apprised the prime minister of the difficulties faced the business community. The government team briefed the meeting about the measures being taken for facilitation of the businessmen and ease of doing business in the country.

The prime minister said he would continue to hold meetings with the businessmen so that, by keeping in view their proposals, the process of reforms and facilitation could be taken further forward.

Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan approves three new Special Economic Zone (SEZ)s - including National Science & Technology Park, Islamabad, JWSEZ China-Pakistan SEZ Raiwind in Punjab and Dhabeji SEZ in Sindh, taking the total number of SEZs to 20. The approval was given during the sixth meeting of the Board of Approvals (BOA) for SEZs which met in the federal capital with PM Imran in the chair.

The meeting was attended by minister for industries, advisors on commerce and finance, Board of Investment chairman, chief ministers of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (through video link) and Gilgit-Baltistan, federal and provincial officials, and others.

The participants were informed about various incentives available for the developers, codevelopers and zone enterprises in the SEZs, read the press release issued by the PM Office.