GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE.

Byline: S.KAMAL HAYDER KAZMI

A ppreciating the G-20 debt relief initiative, Prime Minister Imran Khan observed that the G-20 relief was a timely initiative that complemented the attempts to cope with the Covid-19 challenge. However, PM urged that that the facility may be more extended to provide greater space to the developing states fighting the pandemic in order for them to concentrate their resources on offering relief to their people. PM Imran Khan was chairing a meeting held to review Pakistan's external inflows and outflows with special reference to the support received by the country from various development partners to cope with the outbreak of Covid19 pandemic.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Economic Affairs Division Makhdoom Khusru Bakhtiar, Secretary EAD Noor Ahmed and senior officials. Matters of external inflows and outflow situation of Pakistan, Covid19 financing from development partners, G-20 debt relief and possible scenarios for engaging friendly states for debtfor-development swaps were discussed in the meeting. Imran Khan also said effective domestic revenue mobilisation, better fiscal and debt management, reforms in energy sector and financial sector and enhancing investment climate in Pakistan were key priorities of the present government.

He also directed to explore opportunities for debt for development swaps so that the process of socio-economic development could be stimulated...