KARACHI: Adviser to PM on Finance Abdul Hafeez Sheikh said on Friday the government had, so far, returned $10 billion worth of foreign loans.
Addressing a ceremony at the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi, he said that some of these loans had not even been acquired by the present government.
The finance adviser said that the government had taken effective measures to increase exports of the country. “We did face some difficulties while introducing economic reforms, but they have started yielding positive results,” he added.
Hafeez Sheikh said that the State Bank of Pakistan was truly empowered for the first time and allowed to make its own decisions including devising the monetary policy.
Read more: Govt to return over $10b foreign debt during current fiscal year: NA informed
“We wish the institutions to play their respective roles,” he said. “We want to empower them in making their own decisions.”
The finance adviser further said the government wanted to create jobs for people by facilitating the private sector.
“Those will be better quality jobs and people will be appointed on the basis of their capabilities and skills,” he maintained. (With additional input from INP)
