Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says deep rooted structural reforms have become inevitable to ensure macroeconomic stability and to put the country on path of development and progress.
Chairing apex committee meeting of the Special Investment Facilitation Council in Islamabad today, the premier said there is a need to introduce structural reforms, including digitalization in the Federal Board of Revenue, to bridge the gap between receipts and expenditure.
He said 1350 billion rupees can be saved by addressing such challenges.
Talking about the leakage in the energy sector, the Prime Minister said electricity theft of around 400 billion rupees and combine circular debt in the power and the gas sector of around five trillion rupees are the challenges, which need to be addressed on priority basis.
Shehbaz Sharif said the federal government cannot handle these challenges without the cooperation of provinces.
He expressed the belief that the federal and the provincial governments have the capacity to deal with these difficulties and challenges with unity and resolve.
He urged all political stakeholders to resolve their differences and provincial governments to join hands with the federal government for benefit of the country.
The Prime Minister further said the burden of tough decisions should be on those segments of society which have strength to bear it.
He said the poor man is already suffering from poverty and the government will have to protect him.
On the occasion, Shehbaz Sharif commended the outgoing caretaker government for taking steps to improve economy.
