ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain on Tuesday appointed Miftah Ismail as Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs, with the status of a federal minister, with an immediate effect.
The president made this appointment in the exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 96 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and on the advice of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, according to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division.
Ismail shall cease to hold the office of the Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Economic Affairs after his new appointment, the notification added.
Upon receiving the report of the new appointment, Miftah expressed gratitude to the party (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) head, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and senior party leadership for placing their trust in him. He said, “I bow my head in humility to Almighty Allah for the honour of being appointed Advisor to the Prime Minister for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs. It is a joy also to thank many other leaders, friends and colleagues in [the] PML-N for their constant support over the years.”
Showing his commitment to the “ambitious” economic agenda of the country even though his post is restricted to “five months” only, Miftah Ismael vowed, “In line with Nawaz Sharif’s vision, the prime minister has instructed me [Miftah] to try to lower individual tax rates, widen the tax net, come up with a scheme to repay the refunds owed to our taxpayers, reform certain corporate taxes that are adversely affecting capital formation and also study the possibility of allowing Pakistanis to bring their undocumented wealth into the country’s economy.”
He also claimed that the government will introduce policies to lower the budget deficit, current account deficit and boost country’s foreign exchange reserves.
Espousing his “reputation of integrity” built over the tenure of his government services, he asserted, “I consider it to be of absolute importance that I go out with my reputation intact.”