Tomatoes being sold at Rs17 per kg, claims Hafeez Shaikh

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, in response to a question by a journalist, claimed that tomatoes are being sold at Rs17 per kg in Vegetable Market. During a press conference with Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar, Chairman FBR Shabbar Zaidi and Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Monday, he also ignored a question regarding an increase of US$44 in the SBP reserves on Saturday night. He said that economic indicators of the country were on positive trajectory with the growth rate projected to the increase. “The external trade deficit is continuously reducing along with increase in dollar reserves of the country,” he claimed. Hafeez Shaikh said that the revenues collected by FBR have also seen upward trend. “The exchange rate of the rupee is on stabilization and is gradually improving. The situation of the stock market is also satisfactory and index gradually increasing.” He said that a very good deal was struck with traders of the country in which they were given incentives and also urged to become part of the documentation drive. “US$ 2.1 billion of debt was returned in order to keep the credit rating of the country high. No money was borrowed from State Bank of Pakistan since the last four months.” He said that the World Bank president in his recent visit also hailed the reforms in the FBR, the SBP and the power sector among other areas. “The government has decided to allocate extra 30 billion rupees as subsidy for Naya Pakistan Housing Program,” he said.