News
Monday, April 16, 2012
Zardari for setting up Saraiki Bank* President says government is making all efforts to overcome power crisis
MULTAN: President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday declared that he would advise the government to set up a separate Saraiki Bank and asked businessmen and entrepreneurs from southern Punjab to submit a formal proposal for it within a week.
During a meeting with businessmen of southern Punjab at the Prime Minister’s House, the president said the Saraiki Bank would address the financial issues of south Punjab businessmen. He said the banks in the past have been manipulated for political ends and the government aimed at ensuring a financial system that could not be manipulated against political opponents.
Briefing about the meeting, president’s spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar said that while discussing economy and overall economic situation, the president said that war on terror and natural calamities had adversely impacted the country’s economy. The president said he had been actively pleading with the international community the country’s case for having more trade opportunities.
Zardari said the government was aware that power shortage was among the major issues faced by the business community and industrialists. He said the government was making all efforts to overcome the power crisis by exploring all possible avenues.
The president reiterated his call to the business community to assist the government in rationalising and broadening the tax net to provide relief to small businessmen and traders and to strengthen the economy.
He said the imprudent reversal of the policies initiated by Benazir Bhutto was a major factor for the present crisis. The business community not only needed to assist the government in policy formulation process but also own the economic policies for ensuring their continuity, he said.
Zardari said southern Punjab had a great potential for the export of fruits and the government was making all efforts to facilitate the growers and exporters of fruits, especially of mangoes. He said the government had also planned to establish a ‘Mango Pack House’ and cold storage facility centres in Multan. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk