Major challenges of economic revival grasped Dar

LAHORE: Federal Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar on Saturday said the present government is committed to overcoming major challenges of economic revival, energy crisis, elimination of terrorism and extremism from the country and doubling the education and health sectors’ budget.’He was addressing the passing out ceremony of Probationary Officers of the 42nd Specialized Training Programme of the FBR here at Directorate General of Training and Research (Inland Revenue).’Ishaq Dar said: ‘I have firm belief and faith that Pakistan has great potential to progress and has very bright future that is why we have almost grasped all these major challenges by ensuring remarkable achievements in these directions.”He mentioned that the PML N government had always put the country’s economy on track to speedy growth citing that in 2012-13 Pakistan’s economy was declared instable and no country was then ready do business with Pakistan or buy Pak bonds but today Pakistan’s bonds including Sukuk got unprecedented response at global level.’He said the present government managed to stabilize Pakistan’s economy in just two years and that is why 22 credible institutions of the world have declared Pakistan’s economy much stable.”According to one of the global economic pundits, Pakistan could become world’s 18th largest economy from the current 44th till 2050, provided she maintained its current pace of economic development,’ he said.’The Finance Minister said the PML-N government managed to bring down the budget deficit to 5.3 percent from 8.8 percent and would soon lower it further to 4.3 percent.’We have curtailed the discretionary funds of the Prime Minister and the ministers,’ he added.