Punjab needs further improvement in governance system: PM Imran

PM Was addressing an agri-loan ceremony in Lahore.

LAHORE (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said future of Punjab is bright but needs more improvement in its governance system. He said national economy is gradually picking up and stabilizing as a result of the government s initiatives.

He was addressing a ceremony of Service Level Agreement between Punjab Lang Record Authority and major private commercial banks for rapid agri loans, in Lahore.

While appreciating performance of CM Punjab he said more hard work is required to get good results.He said civilized societies do not differ in rich and poor and government is collecting data for its largest Ehsas  Program.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said the provision of loan to the small farmers and small and medium industry was the government’s priority for both being the major sources of employment and poverty alleviation. He said it was a revolution to ease out the procedural difficulties the farmers had to face to get credit so far.

Under the agreement, a digital link would be established between the central database of land records and the banks which would verify the status of land of the farmers reducing the loan processing time from 30 days to three days and just after three visits of the bank.

He said through this initiative, a common farmer would get agriculture loan by visiting a bank and getting his land record verified without any hassle.

“This is a revolution… This is a beginning and a tremendous job. Because getting loans by the small farmers has almost been impossible so far.

Even small and medium industry which is the backbone of an economy and creates the most employment also faces difficulties to get loan,” he remarked.

Chief Minister of Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, special assistants to prime minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and Zulfiqar Bukhari, Senior PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen, Governor State Bank of Pakistan Raza Baqir also attended the ceremony.

The prime minister said the civilized societies always played a collective role to bring their people out of poverty that had also been the characteristic of the State of Madina which had taken the responsibility of its poor citizens.

He said China could also steer around 700 million people out of poverty within 30 years just because the state had played its due role and farmers were fully supported.

Highlighting the government’s flagship initiative of Ehsaas, the prime minister said despite tough financial conditions, the government had earmarked Rs 200 billion for various anti-poverty programs to provide loans to youth, cash grants to women through a database connecting all the public and private sector institutions working for the poverty alleviation.

He said around 95 percent of farmers in Pakistan owned not more than 12 acres of land that was why they needed agri credit.

Referring to country’s economic condition during the first year of the government, he said the government could not concentrate on any other thing except the economy when it had to pay back $10 billion loan taken by previous government, control the devaluing currency and bridge the current account deficit.

However, he said today, rupee has gained, confidence of the businessmen and stock market had revived and the investors were looking towards Pakistan.

As told by Governor State Bank, the prime minister said it was pleasing that the farmers had been given record credit of Rs 1 trillion in a year which also showed that the economy was picking up.

The prime minister appreciated various initiatives of Punjab government which could brighten the future of Punjab and called for publicity of those initiatives to make the people know.

The Governor State Bank said stability is a step toward growth. He said economic growth will generate employment opportunities, which will lead to prosperity in the country.

He said the State Bank is working to reduce Income disparity in the country through regularization and cooperation with banks. He said low income people will be provided loans.

Earlier, the premier reached Lahore on a day-long visit and deliberated on provincial affairs with Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, provincial bureaucracy and senior police officers.

The CM briefed him on the political and administrative issues and took him into confidence. Imran Khan directed the bureaucracy to do every work on merit and fulfill the responsibility of serving the masses.

Imran Khan asked Usman Buzdar to improve law and order situation in the province. The dignitaries also held consultations regarding the administrative changes in Punjab.