Islamabad , (Parliament Times) : Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday said that Pakistan desperately needed measures to bring the country’s economy out of crisis through sustainable export led economic growth.
“The sustainable economic growth is possible only through increasing productivity that leads to more exports and higher economic growth”, the minister said while addressing the closing ceremony of a two-day international conference on Productivity Accreditation and Certification, organized by National Productivity Organization (NPO) on the occasion of APO’s Diamond Jubilee.
Ahsan Iqbal said the country had been facing sheer foreign exchange reserves and balance of payment crisis for long time due to slow growth in exports. “Whenever we cross 6 percent of GDP growth, the government faces dollar shortage issue due to which we have to put emergency brake on the economic growth to resolve the balance of payment crisis,” he added.
Mr. Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives in his closing speech appreciated APO’s role in the development of Asia-Pacific region. He further deliberated that it is time to renew and revitalize our commitment, resolve and will to strive further and achieve APO’s vision of “Inclusive, innovation-led productivity growth in the Asia-Pacific”. Together with this vigor and energy our goals as APO member countries of “Sustainable productivity growth”, “Robust innovation ecosystem” and “Inclusive engagement and shared prosperity” seem not too distant.
He conveyed his gratitude to APO Secretary General on APO’s Diamond Jubilee. He further added that working in tandem with similar organizations, the APO and NPOs will be able to find solutions to long-standing problems of the region.
He expressed these views while addressing closing ceremony of International Conference on Productivity Accreditation and Certification for Pakistan on Tuesday. This International Conference on Productivity Accreditation and Certification held in Pakistan was the continuation of the commemoration of the APO’s Diamond Jubilee.
He highlighted that the Ministry of planning development and special initiatives, own’s a mission to “manage Pakistan’s socio-economic development in a strategic and sustainable manner”. It is our objective to provide leadership at national level in planning and developing programs through competitiveness and leadership for national economy. Let say that if we see the mission of APO and our ministry; they are coherent and supplementing each other. So, we share the same journey to the destination of competitive sustainable socioeconomic development in our domains. Currently Pakistan is facing many external and internal challenges which are further compounded by existing commodity super cycle and geopolitical situation. the economic growth is not creating enough opportunities and balance of payment crisis is looming, besides short-term actions we have developed out of the box long term initiatives like “vision 2025 “– a first stage of long-term vision leading to 1st century of Pakistan in 2047.