Web Desk (LTN NEWS): While holding a press conference in Islamabad, Miftah Ismail attacked PTI and said that you have broken the agreement with IMF, increased the circular debt of gas to 1400 billion rupees, and sold LNG at local gas prices.
He said that we were sent to jail for setting up the world’s cheapest LNG terminal, we incurred a debt of 19,300 billion rupees in just 4 years, and the circular debt was increased by 1500 billion in the previous government.
The finance minister said that the dollar was out of our control after July 17, we started controlling the dollar at 239 rupees but now the dollar is coming down. We have banned imports of non-essential goods and will impose a 10 percent surcharge on non-exporters, we now have more dollar inflows and fewer outflows.
Miftah Ismail further said that the IMF program has started and a meeting will be held with the IMF board this month after which we will get the money.
On petroleum products, the finance minister said that the issue of petrol is automatic, it comes from Ogra, we did not increase or decrease the tax, we sent it to the prime minister which he approved.
Miftah Ismail said that I did not say that the price of petrol will not increase, I said that I will not impose tax on petroleum products, the dollar was at 235 in the past days, so we made petrol cheaper by three rupees, but no one did. Asked, now the next target is to reduce inflation in which the target is to bring down petrol and diesel.
He further said that I am bound by every decision of the government and stand with responsibility, we cannot compare Pakistan with Sri Lanka now, and we will continue to make difficult decisions in the future.
