Vision Pakistan 2025

The Vision Pakistan 2025 consultative group meeting is underway in Islamabad where Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is chief Guest. The meeting is aimed at evolving short and long term socio- economic development strategy for the country.

In his welcome address Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said the froup will focus on seven major themes. These include energy security‚ economic revival‚ with a focus on mobilizing indigenous resources‚ development of human and social capital‚ infrastructure development‚ value addition of economy and agriculture sectors‚ institutional reforms and bringing reforms for improving security to ensure sustainable development of the country and the people.

Minister for Planning and development Ahsan Iqbal highlighting the objectives of the consultative meeting said about 1000 experts from all fields of life have been gathered to give input for ensuring rapid and sustainable short and long-term socio-economic development of the country.He said the whole nation including political leadership has the sense that all national issues have to be resolved through unity and not to politicize these issues.

Vision Pakistan 2025

Ahsan Iqbal said fifty groups of experts will go into deliberation and will discuss whole day the future strategy for speedy development in their respective fields. In the light of their recommendations‚ the government will finalize the 11th five-year development plan and long-term 2025 vision by the end of next month. He said the private sector‚ academia and civil society have to play their active role to accomplish this task while the government will play the role of a facilitator.

In his remarks Finance Minister Ishaq Dar highlighted the performance of the government during the last five months. He said steps have been taken to reduce budget deficit.

He said projects have been launched in power sector which will generate additional 8600 MW electricity during the next four years. He said with the payment of 502 billion rupees circular debt two IPPs‚ additional 1700 MW electricity is being generated.

He said the Government is taking steps to import cheap LPG for overcoming energy crisis.  He said for the first hydro carbon policy will be announced in the first quarter of the next year.

Ishaq Dar said on the economic front measures are underway to expand tax network for generating more revenue and get rid of loans.  He said investment target for the next three years has been set at 20 percent of the GDP growth.

He said during the last five months national exports have been grown by nine percent while tax collection has been increased by seventeen percent.