Islamabad: Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Wednesday announced the federal government’s decision to allocate PKR 25 billion for the development of the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme (NPHP), a news source reported. In addition, he directed for categorising the construction sector as an ‘Industry‘ and asked the officials concerned to take the necessary operational measures to see to this designation-conferment.
The premier stated during a meeting that the construction sector would receive the same facilities enjoyed by other industries in Pakistan. Various senior officers, including Advisor on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Chairman Naya Pakistan Housing Authority (NPHA) General (rtd) Anwar Ali Haider, and representative of the Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD) Muhammad Hasan Bakhsi also attended the meeting.
The premier reiterated his government’s commitment to the development of the construction sector and called on the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) to proactively counter the rise of cartels involved in the business, as well as the artificial escalation of the prices of raw materials. He also hoped that the promotion of the construction sector, and the various sectors associated with it, would improve economic activities within the country.
Further, Advisor on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez informed the attendees of the improvements made during several meetings with ABAD representatives regarding the issues faced by the construction sector. He revealed that the future line of action about the fixed income tax and other problems regarding the construction sector had been posited in principal.
