LAHORE: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Saturday said that the Pakistan government would not allow any country to exploit its water resources at any cost.
Speaking at ‘7th Achievement Award Ceremony 2011’ of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) at Expo Centre, he said that the government had asked the Indian government to honour water accords with Pakistan and had raised the water dispute at every international forum.
Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khosa, Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Commerce Minister Ameen Faheem LCCI President Shahzad Malik, Senior Vice President Sheikh Muhammad Arshad and a large number of representatives of the business community were present on the occasion.
The prime minister said that the government was working on priority bases to eliminate the menace of terrorism as the deteriorating law and order was causing negative impact on the national economy.
He said that international economic crisis and the worst floods last year created gigantic and ‘mountain-like’ problems for the country. He said that under such circumstances crossing the export target of $25 billion was a marvelous achievement.
Gilani said that the tax collection was Rs 105 billion in July 2011, up 36 percent as compared to the last year’s in the same month. He said foreign aid of $1.1 billion in July 2011 was also 35 percent up as compared to the last year’s, adding that the government didn’t make any borrowing from the State Bank in July. He said that credit goes to the business community in this regard.
Responding to a point raised by the LCCI president, Gilani said that the PPP government had approached and raised its voice at all international forums against water aggression by India and brought it to the negotiating table.
About energy crisis, he said that it was the first priority of the government to import electricity to run the system while new dams would also be constructed to increase power generation in the country.
He said that the country was the facing the worst energy crisis. “Had some concrete measures been taken in the past, we would have not face such an energy crisis,” he said.
About unannounced load shedding, the prime minister said that a committee comprising the federal minister for water and power, the State Bank governor and others would present its recommendations to the federal cabinet after Ramazan and the government would take important decision in the light of its recommendations.
Regarding LCCI president’s demand for the government support to establish a Centre for Export Competitiveness, the prime minister said that he would direct the federal ministry to provide funds for this centre from the Support Development Funds.
About complaints of the business community regarding new tax reforms system, he said that the government was trying to devise a practical system. “We are in the middle of the way to achieve the target and soon we will devise a comprehensive system acceptable for all stakeholders,” he said.
Speaking at ‘7th Achievement Award Ceremony 2011’ of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) at Expo Centre, he said that the government had asked the Indian government to honour water accords with Pakistan and had raised the water dispute at every international forum.
Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khosa, Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Commerce Minister Ameen Faheem LCCI President Shahzad Malik, Senior Vice President Sheikh Muhammad Arshad and a large number of representatives of the business community were present on the occasion.
The prime minister said that the government was working on priority bases to eliminate the menace of terrorism as the deteriorating law and order was causing negative impact on the national economy.
He said that international economic crisis and the worst floods last year created gigantic and ‘mountain-like’ problems for the country. He said that under such circumstances crossing the export target of $25 billion was a marvelous achievement.
Gilani said that the tax collection was Rs 105 billion in July 2011, up 36 percent as compared to the last year’s in the same month. He said foreign aid of $1.1 billion in July 2011 was also 35 percent up as compared to the last year’s, adding that the government didn’t make any borrowing from the State Bank in July. He said that credit goes to the business community in this regard.
Responding to a point raised by the LCCI president, Gilani said that the PPP government had approached and raised its voice at all international forums against water aggression by India and brought it to the negotiating table.
About energy crisis, he said that it was the first priority of the government to import electricity to run the system while new dams would also be constructed to increase power generation in the country.
He said that the country was the facing the worst energy crisis. “Had some concrete measures been taken in the past, we would have not face such an energy crisis,” he said.
About unannounced load shedding, the prime minister said that a committee comprising the federal minister for water and power, the State Bank governor and others would present its recommendations to the federal cabinet after Ramazan and the government would take important decision in the light of its recommendations.
Regarding LCCI president’s demand for the government support to establish a Centre for Export Competitiveness, the prime minister said that he would direct the federal ministry to provide funds for this centre from the Support Development Funds.
About complaints of the business community regarding new tax reforms system, he said that the government was trying to devise a practical system. “We are in the middle of the way to achieve the target and soon we will devise a comprehensive system acceptable for all stakeholders,” he said.