Dar Stresses Need to Expedite Austerity Measures

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar Monday while highlighting the challenging economic situation in the country stressed to ensure and expedite the implementation of austerity measures. The minister made these remarks while chairing the first meeting of the monitoring committee to oversee the implementation of austerity measures at the Finance Division today. The meeting reviewed the implementation of the decisions of the cabinet on austerity measures. Secretary Finance gave a presentation on the decisions and their implementation status. The committee was informed that Ministries/Divisions are already working on these measures and instructions have been issued for immediate compliance and reporting of any exemption and violation of these decisions. The committee directed all principal accounting officers (PAOs) to implement a 15 percent cut in their current budgets. It was decided that the use of tele conferences must be encouraged for all meetings to save time and expenditure. The committee conveyed that the decision to withdraw the use of luxury vehicles by the cabinet members and government officials be implemented with no exemption in any case. Federal Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research Tariq Bashir Cheema, Federal Minister for Law & Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, Advisor to the PM on Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit- Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira, SAPM on Finance Tariq Bajwa, federal secretaries, and senior officers attended the meeting.