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'IMF conditions to

be implemented

selectively'

ISLAMABAD: Dr Sher Afgan, Minister Incharge for Finance said that present government was implementing people-oriented policies and it would not overburden the masses on the advices of the monetary institutions.

He was replying to a supplementary question here in National Assembly on Wednesday. He said that targets of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) could not fully be fulfilled because our people were poor. He said, "we will implement only those suggestions which are not harmful to our people".

He said that the target to reduce budget deficit in the federal budget is 5 percent where as IMF suggested to fix it at 4 percent.

To a supplementary, he replied that electricity tariff rates were enhanced by the Wapda which was an autonomous body to generate funds required for its developmental projects to generate more electricity to fulfil the demands of power supply. However, the rates for domestic use are considerably less than the commercial purpose, he added.

He said that special committee of Federal Secretaries and ECC of the Cabinet regularly monitor price behaviour and as considered necessary, take appropriate steps to augment the domestic stock of essential commodities through imports.

He said that import duties in case of some essential items like edible oil, mutton and beef have been reduced while in case of some other items like sugar, red chillies, garlic, onion and vegetable seeds etc, the duties were totally withdrawn.

To a supplementary, the minister incharge said, "our country has agro-based economy and besides Karachi our industrial network is expanding in other parts of the country".

He further said that except for a few places the overall law and order situation in Karachi is normal and not affecting economy of the country.

The government did not intend to devalue Pakistani rupee, the State Minister for Finance Makhdoom Shahabuddin told the House in written reply to a question by Mohammad Zafarullah Khan.

To another question by Mian Mohammad Munir, the State Minister for Finance informed the House that an amount of Rs 1,567,735 were paid to the newspapers by the government for the advertisements appeared in papers after the budget of June, 1995. Another Rs 2,528,282 will also be paid to newspapers in this regard whose bills are still pending for verification by the Press Information Department, he added.

It may be noted that the PML-led Opposition had stronglly reacted to the publication of these advertisements and was of the opinion that the government published the advertisements for the party projection at the state expense.

Minister for Special Education Dr Sher Afgan in reply to a question by Mian Munir told the House that the government is taking concrete steps to control inflation in the country. The steps included reducing fiscal deficit to five percent of the GDP, encouraging private sector to supplement government's efforts to import essential commodities, expand the network of Utility Stores and tight monetary policy to discourage excess liquidity.

Minister Incharge of the Prime Minister's Secretariat, in reply to a question by Ch. Jaffar Iqbal, told the House that the government has approved setting up 12 Special Industrial Zones in the country with very attractive incentives.

These zones will be established at Leiah, Rahim Yar Khan and Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab, Keti Bundar, Nawabshah and Larkana in Sindh, between Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu, between Khairabad and Akora Khattak in NWFP, Windher and Quetta in Balochistan, Mak Pandas near Gilgit, in Northern Areas and new industrial area in Mirpur, Azad Kashmir.

Federal Minister Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah, replying to a question by Mohammad Zafarullah Khan, said the scope of trade between Pakistan and Central Asian countries would be expanded manifold after the finalisation of agreements with those countries. Agreements have been signed with Chinese and ECO member countries.

Syed Khurshid Ali Shah, informed the House that Kyrghstan and Kazakstan have signed agreements with Pakistan to this effect. But similar ageements with Afghanistan and Uzbekistan will help to ensure the transit trade facility to the landlocked Central Asian states.-APP/PPI