Dubai: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has stated that the foundation of Pakistan’s economy at the macroeconomic level has been gradually improving since last year. Speaking to Pakistani investors and businessmen in Dubai, he highlighted a decrease in inflation to 2.4 percent in January this year, while the policy rate stands at 12 percent.
According to Radio Pakistan, the Prime Minister noted that Pakistan’s exports, including IT exports, are on the rise, and foreign remittances have reached a record high of three billion dollars in January this year. He attributed the stability in Pakistan’s economic landscape at the macroeconomic level to an agreement with the International Monetary Fund.
The Prime Minister emphasized the government’s target of achieving economic growth and the need to continue heading in the right direction. He identified key areas for accelerating economic growth, such as mines and minerals, information technology and artificial intelligence, agriculture, and converting production into value-added products.
Shehbaz Sharif pointed out that Pakistan is endowed with abundant mines and mineral reserves worth trillions of dollars, mentioning substantial progress in this sector. Regarding Information Technology, he highlighted that sixty percent of the population, aged between fifteen to thirty years, are youth. He stressed the importance of providing proper training in Artificial Intelligence and Information Technology to create job opportunities that can significantly boost the economy.
Addressing the agriculture sector, the Prime Minister acknowledged that Pakistan has been blessed with vast agricultural resources, yet this potential remained untapped for decades. He announced the government’s initiative to send one thousand fresh agriculture graduates to China for training in various agricultural fields, funded by the government of Pakistan.
Elaborating on the challenge of converting production into value-added products, Shehbaz Sharif admitted Pakistan’s lag in this area but assured that the government is making concerted efforts to address the issue.
The Prime Minister concluded by urging complete dedication and commitment to these focus areas, stating that it is teamwork that can transform society and help the nation compensate for past shortcomings while moving forward with speed.