Page 11 - Pakistan Link - January 20, 2023
P. 11

PAKISTAN                                                                                                             PAKISTAN LINK - JANUARY 20, 2023 - P11
       Traders Give SBP Chief a Tough                                Ambassador Blome Meets Aminul Haq,

            Time for Curbing Imports                                   Discusses IT & Telecom Related Issues




                                                                   ISLAMABAD:  US  Ambassador  to
                                                                   Pakistan Donald Blome on Wednes-
                                                                   day called on IT and Telecommuni-
                                                                   cation  Minister  Syed  Aminul  Haq
                                                                   and  discussed  several  matters  re-
                                                                   lated to the IT and telecom sector.
                                                                      The  meeting,  which  lasted  for
                                                                   about an hour, had conspicuous sig-
                                                                   nificance in the wake of the politi-
                                                                   cal  situation  in  the  country.  How-
                                                                   ever, Haq insisted no political topic
                                                                   came under discussion.
                                                                      “It  remained  confined  to  pro-
                                                                   fessional  matters  as  we  had  our
                                                                   teams  present  in  the  meeting,”  the
                                                                   minister  told  The  News,  terming  State Bank of Pakistan Governor Jameel Ahmad - Dawn
                                                                   the meeting very productive.
                                                                      He  said  the  US  envoy  showed  cussed  matters  of  mutual  interest,  forwarded  to  relevant  forums  for
                                                                   interest  in  meeting  the  MQM-P  IT and telecom sector. The minister  approval within three to four weeks.
                                                                   leaders so that he could have a bet- informed the envoy there were nu-  The  US  ambassador  said
                                                                   ter view of the political situation in  merous  opportunities  for  US  tech  that  Pakistan  was  getting  an
                                                                   the biggest city of the country. The  companies  in  the  IT  and  telecom  important  place  in  the  technol-
       State Bank of Pakistan Governor Jameel Ahmad - Dawn         US  had  always  taken  keen  interest  sector in Pakistan, it added.  ogy  world.  He  also  emphasized
                                                                   in the progress and development of   The  minister  said  there  was  closer cooperation in the IT and
       KARACHI:  Traders  declared  open  where importers line the pockets of  Karachi, he said.  a  dire  need  of  enhancing  Pak-US  telecom  sector  between  the  two
       season  on  State  Bank  of  Pakistan  officials for getting their foreign pay-  Aminul Haq extended an invi- cooperation in the IT and telecom  countries.  The  sources  said  that
       (SBP)  Governor  Jameel  Ahmad  ments cleared, he alleged. The gov- tation to the US envoy for visiting  sector  besides  boosting  business  matters  related  to  Google  and
       on  Wednesday,  hurling  barbs  that  ernor took offence, but the business- the central secretariat of the MQM- ties.  some  other  networks  also  came
       sometimes  bordered  on  outright  man shot back by saying he kept the  P  in  Karachi,  which  he  accepted.   He noted that work on 70 con- up for discussion.
       insults for imposing import restric- “proverbial receipts”.  However,  the  US  ambassador  did  nectivity  projects  worth  Rs65  bil-  Meanwhile,  US  Consul  Gen-
       tions.                           Repeating  the  views  that  the  not  give  an  exact  date  or  schedule  lion  was  underway  for  ensuring  eral in Karachi Nicole Theriot had
          Members of the Karachi Cham- SBP  governor  expressed  earlier  in  for visiting Karachi. It is likely that  connectivity across the country.  an important meeting with another
       ber  of  Commerce  and  Industry  the  day  at  the  Federation  of  Paki- he  would  undertake  the  visit  early   Aminul Haq said that the Per- top leader of the MQM-P Nasreen
       (KCCI)  spared  little  mercy  for  the  stan  Chambers  of  Commerce  and  next month.  sonal Data Protection Bill and social  Jalil in Karachi at her residence re-
       central  bank  chief  in  a  town-hall  Industry, he said the country would   The  ministry  stated  that  the  media  rules  are  business-friendly,  cently,  where  other  party  leaders
       meeting for letting 5,700 containers  receive  fresh  inflows  of  dollars  in  US envoy and federal minister dis- adding  that  both  the  bills  will  be  were also present. – The News
       laden  with  food,  medicine  and  in- the coming weeks and the liquidity
       dustrial raw materials waste away at  situation  would  improve  going  for-
          Banks are refusing to open let- to  provide  the  SBP  with  granular  NA Speaker Defends Decision to Accept
       port for months on end.       ward. He asked the KCCI leadership
       ters  of  credit  (LCs)  for  a  majority  details  about  the  withheld  imports
       of imports under explicit directives  and  sector-wise  values  of  pending   Resignations of PTI Lawmakers
       from the SBP as the country fights a  payments.
       serious shortage of dollars.     He  reiterated  the  SBP’s  official
          Minimizing dollar outflows has  position that LCs of food products,  ISLAMABAD:   National   Assem-
       brought  a  wide  section  of  import- energy-related  imports  and  indus- bly  Speaker  Raja  Pervaiz  Ashraf  on
       dependent  industrial  activity  to  a  trial raw materials will have a higher  Thursday defended his decision to ac-
       standstill across the country.  priority than all other categories.  cept the resignations of PTI lawmak-
          Based  on  K-Electric  billings,   There’s a total backlog of around  ers, saying he only did so after they
       power  consumption  by  Karachi- 11,000 cases of import payments —  were able to “satisfy him” by proving
       based  factories  has  gone  down  by  down from 33,000 pending cases in  that it was a “voluntary decision and
       30-35  per  cent  in  recent  months,  2022 — that the SBP is trying to re- not under pressure”.
       which  reflects  declining  industrial  solve at the earliest, Mr Ahmad said.  In an apparent bid to scuttle the
       activity, according to the KCCI lead-  Earlier,  KCCI  President  Mo- PTI’s purported plan to bring a confi-
       ership.                       hammad Yousuf Tariq suggested that  dence motion against Prime Minister
          In  a  visual  demonstration  of  the SBP do away with the priority list  Shehbaz  Sharif,  Ashraf  on  Tuesday
       the  closure  of  industry,  one  over- because it leaves room for favoritism  had  accepted  the  resignations  of  34  National Assembly Speaker Raja Perviaz Ashraf talks to Dawn News at the Marriott Hotel in
       enthusiastic  KCCI  representative  and manipulation. LC quotas should  PTI  lawmakers  alongside  Awami  Islamabad — Screengrab
       handed the SBP governor a giant key  rather be assigned based on the pre- Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid,
       in a velvet box. Visibly embarrassed,  ceding year’s turnover, he suggested. resulting  in  their  de-notification  by  day, the NA speaker said he had ac- person  resigning  made  the  decision
       Mr Ahmad squirmed in his seat and   Former KCCI  president  Zubair  the Election Commission of Pakistan. cepted the resignations of those law- according to their own will and con-
       refused to accept it without making  Motiwala urged the SBP governor to   The ECP communiqué regard- makers  who  had  satisfied  him  that  science.”
       eye contact with the KCCI represen- get all the 5,700 containers released  ing the de-notification of the mem- they  had  tendered  the  resignations   He said, “There is a hue and cry
       tative.                       on an urgent basis. He also demand- bers,  mostly  the  top  brass  of  the  voluntarily as well as those who had  when I don’t accept resignations, and
          Similarly,  an  importer  of  the  ed that the government play its part  PTI and former members of Imran  made their stance on the matter clear  a hue and cry when I do.”
       perfume  used  in  soap  manufactur- in  getting  detention,  container  and  Khan’s cabinet, came as a surprise  in the media.  Ashraf rejected the claim that he
       ing told the governor that his prom- customs  charges  either  waived  or  for the PTI as well as political ex-  Ashraf said that several PTI law- accepted the resignations due to PTI
       ise of better days meant little more  reduced.  “There’re  75  containers  of  perts  as  only  two  weeks  back,  the  makers  had  contacted  him,  saying  Chairman Imran Khan hinting at the
       than a lollipop.              onions stuck on port.         speaker  had  refused  to  accept  the  they were still pondering over the de- party’s return to the assembly.
          “It’s  not  an  issue  of  the  dollar   Their demurrage is now higher  resignations.  cision to resign from the lower house   “There  is  nothing  as  such.  The
       shortage. The issue is of your intent,”  than  the  cost,”  he  said,  referring  to   Meanwhile,  PTI  leader  and  for- of parliament.  process of accepting the resignations
       he said, curtly. The businessman said  the  penalty  imposed  on  failing  to  mer  NA  speaker  Asad  Qaiser  had   “Many  PTI  members  spoke  to  was initiated when the PTI delegation
       banks  aren’t  processing  his  import  discharge  a  ship  on  time.  Speak- termed Ashraf’s move to be a “grave  me on the phone and said they were  visited me,” he said, referring to the
       documents  even  though  his  long- ing to Dawn on the sidelines of the  injustice” to the speaker’s office.  still thinking about it. They also told  meeting held last month.
       time overseas supplier has extended  town-hall  meeting,  an  importer  of   “When  you  occupy  a  consti- me that they were initially told that   “We went over their media state-
       credit for one year.          foodstuff  said  his  imports  worth  tutional  position,  then  you  should  tendering  resignations  was  only  a  ments, their tweets, and their signa-
          “I don’t need your dollars at all.  $160,000  have  been  stuck  on  port  make decisions keeping in mind the  pressure tactic.”  tures before taking a decision regard-
       What’s  the  hold-up  then?”  Another  since Dec 27, 2022.  law and the Constitution. You have to   Ashraf said he became doubtful  ing their resignations.”
       businessman looked the governor in   “I’m losing money every day as  act in accordance with the law [rath- after hearing such statements and did   He  said  that  the  lawmakers
       the eye and said he paid a bribe of  the daily demurrage is $80-100. It’s  er] than fulfilling the wishes of politi- not accept the resignations till he was  whose resignations had not yet been
       $2,000 to SBP officials to get clear- an  incompetent  bunch,”  he  said  in  cal people,” Qaiser had said.  completely satisfied. “Before I accept  accepted should return to the assem-
       ance for a dollar payment. The SBP  an apparent reference to government   Speaking to the media on Thurs- any resignation, I make sure that the  bly. - Dawn
       has  become  an  “auction  house”  and central bank officials. - Dawn
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