Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Prime Minister’s advisor on finance, said the government is undertaking efforts to facilitate trade and improve the production capacity of various sectors to boost the country’s exports.

Speaking to French Ambassador Dr Marc Baréty today in Islamabad, he said the government has increased the budget allocated to the social sector, while steps were also taken to provide the poor with adequate food and medical care.

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The meeting also addressed various proposals to improve the bilateral relations between the two countries and to increase French investment in Pakistan.

Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said earlier on January 8 that the government is taking all-out steps to solve the country’s continuing gas crisis.

Chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Energy, Hafeez Shaikh said that the Ministry of Energy pursued a detailed plan to address energy shortages and boost gas supply throughout the year.

The meeting agreed that, by the end of January, 70 million metric cubic feet of gas will be added to the grid.