Minister for Planning Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal has said that allocation of Rs 35 billion have been made in the next budget for early completion of Western route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
Speaking in the Senate on Wednesday, the minister rejected claims that only a meagre amount has been earmarked in the budget for the Western route. He said the government is giving priority to the Western route and it has allocated Rs 22 billion for the Dera Ismail Khan-Burhan section alone in the new budget.
He said significant work has also been done for the early groundbreaking of Gwadar International Airport. He said the governments of Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are fully supporting the project and their reservations have been addressed.
He said the government has also allocated Rs 5.4 billion for the upgradation of Indus Highway. Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan said that a comprehensive incentive package has been announced in the new budget to bolster the exports of textile products.
He pointed out that the exports of value added products including readymade garments and knitwear witnessed growth during the outgoing financial year.
He said the government is committed to supporting all export-oriented sectors and equip them with the latest technology to achieve the objective of higher exports.
