ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said that industrialisation and increasing of exports were keys to a country’s progress and prosperity.
“Selling vegetables will not enhance the national wealth. Wealth creation of a country is impossible without industrial development while exports increase supplement such efforts,” the prime minister said while addressing a launching ceremony of Pak-China Business Investment Forum as a chief guest in Islamabad.
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The Pak-China Business Investment Forum is formed in collaboration with the Pakistan Board of Investment (BOI) and All Pakistan Chinese Enterprises Association with the objectives to promote investment by the Chinese companies in Pakistan and enhance business to business industrial cooperation.
PM Imran Khan regretted that during the 60s, Pakistan was moving towards industrialisation, but nationalisation choked progress.
He said different small countries in the world had increased their export capacity.
He said the government had provided incentives to the IT sector and within two years, its exports had been doubled.
Referring to China and Turkey, the prime minister observed that they made strides by enhancing their industrial and exports capabilities. “Turkey overcame its trade deficit with an increase in exports which also raised its GDP,” he added.
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The PM said that in Pakistan, focusing on industrialisation had never been made a priority in the past.
He also said, ”We need to focus on agriculture. We are still stuck with the ways of Mohenjo-daro. We have to learn urban planning from China.”
