ISLAMABAD: Minister for Communications Murad Saeed on Wednesday regretted that the previous governments left all the state owned enterprises into losses including the Pakistan Steel Mills, Pakistan International Airline and Pakistan Railways. 

“We are reforming these entities and its benefit will reach the masses,” Murad Saeed said while speaking in the National Assembly in Islamabad.

The minister said the revenue of Pakistan Post had significantly increased under the present government. He said, “Our first year saw 70 percent and the second year 110 percent increase in its revenue.”

Regarding coronavirus, he said the federal government provided Personal Protective Equipment, masks and ventilators to the provinces. “We are strengthening our healthcare system in this time of crisis,” he said. He said the federal government had also given a mega stimulus package of 1200 billion rupees to provide succor to different segments of society during these testing times.

Also Read: Govt decides to privatize Pakistan Steel Mills to steer it out of losses

Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan laid before the Lower House (National Assembly) the Tax Laws (Amendment) Ordinance 2020.

Four bills were also laid by the adviser on parliamentary affairs. These included: The Maritime Security Agency (Amendment) Bill, National College of Arts Institute Bill, National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (Amendment) bill and the Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power (Amendment) bill.

The house also resumed discussion on the challenge posed by locusts.

The members said the locusts had badly affected crops in different districts of the country and demanded that sufficient resources should be allocated to cope with this challenge. They said the crop devouring pests have become a more serious issue than Covid-19 and the affected districts should be cleared through aerial sprays.

Those who have so far spoken on the issue include Khawaja Sheraz Mahmood, Ghulam Mustafa Shah and Sabir Hussain Qaimkhani.