LAHORE:Pakistan Businesses Forum (PBF) Vice President Jahan Ara Wattoo stressed importance of effective public-private dialogue in planning and implementation of economic reforms.
She said the government planning around the world had become participatory, collaborative and market-oriented in nature.
Talking to the media here, Jahan Ara said the establishment of PBF was crucial as a real advocacy forum, which would work toward coordination between the government and private economic managers, adding that unfortunately economic contribution of various trade organisations including different associations was not being adequately fulfilled in Pakistan.
The PBF vice president recommended bringing to the fore some points for deliberations between public and private sector stakeholders on how to build strong, effective and sustainable measures (TOs) that could contribute to the economic growth and development of Pakistan.
Similarly, from the perspective of the public sector, the government needed to set up institutional mechanisms for public-private dialogue where bureaucracy could effectively engage the private sector on matters relating to both short- and long-term economic/ business policy making and its implementation.
She said: “The PBF would ensure overcoming this gap and initiate a non-political economic dialogue with the stakeholders which is vital for our economic transformation”.
On flood situation; she demanded that provincial governments provide financial assistance to flood affectees under livestock and housing, immediately providing them with tents, mosquito nets, mosquito spray, food and drink equipment, digging drains and ensuring drainage of water from villages and crops.
She said that National Bank of Pakistan and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) shoud write off all agriculture loans in the province of Sindh and Balochistan on immediately bases for the year 2021-2022 and notifications must be issued on priority basis on the account of national crises.