ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that after bringing the inflation rate down to the single digit of 9.6 percent, more efforts were required to bring in economic growth and stability besides addressing the challenges of circular debt and tax evasion.
“Alhamdulillah, the burden of inflation is reducing gradually. A single-digit inflation rate of 9.6 percent was reported in August this year which was 27 percent this month of last year. But we have to keep up our efforts to achieve economic growth and stability, create productive employment, reduce expenditures by rightsizing and downsizing, shrink circular debt, curb evasion of receipts and eliminate smuggling,” the prime minister said while addressing the meeting of the federal cabinet chaired by him, the official news agency reported.
He congratulated the finance minister, State Bank governor and other economic team members for the achievement and said that serious and tireless efforts were underway to achieve the challenging task.
“This gradual improvement, we have to take it forward swiftly… The task is cumbersome but we will reach our destination if we remain focused on targets,” he remarked.
He said sincere efforts always led nations to excel and Pakistan too could achieve the same as the country had immense resources including competent minds, natural resources and youth.
Prime Minister Shehbaz told the cabinet members that the prerequisites of the IMF programme were under supervision and all-out measures were being taken to fulfill the conditionalities.
“Insha Allah, we will fulfill all the IMF conditionalities timely which will follow the consideration and approval by the IMF Board. This will start a new journey. But we should keep in mind that this should be the last IMF programme in Pakistan’s history,” he remarked.
Earlier in the day, the prime minister wrote on his X account that the reduction in Pakistan’s annual inflation rate to 9.6 percent was not an accident but an outcome of the government’s efforts.
“Pakistan’s annual inflation rate has dropped to 9.6% in August, first single-digit figure in nearly 3 years according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. This is not an accident! These are results,” the prime minister said.
He said that his government’s focus was on providing relief to the common man.
“Our work is not done, and a lot more needs to be done but we are making real progress,” he remarked.
