- Govt spokesman says 40pc houses will be constructed in rural areas, 40pc in urban and 20pc in slum areas
ISLAMABAD: Government’s spokesman on economy and energy Dr Farrukh Saleem has said that the foreign banks are keen to invest in the government’s Naya Pakistan Housing Programme (NPHP) announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
In a TV interview on Sunday, Dr Farrukh Saleem appreciated the government for initiating NPHP and said that the programme would not only facilitate the masses but would also give a much-needed boost to various sectors of the national economy.
He said that the World Bank would invest in the mortgage business of the scheme which would prove to be a huge economic driver.
The spokesman emphasised that 10 million houses were required to be constructed in Pakistan as it was impossible for a common man to construct his own house with limited resources, adding that the government had a ‘solid and comprehensive strategy’ regarding the facilitation of the masses.
To a question, Dr Farrukh Saleem said that the government’s role in the programme was of a facilitator with no plan for investment. “The government has planned a one-window operation for the mega scheme while mortgage financing and construction would be carried out by the private sector,” he added.
On another query, he said the government has decided to construct 40 per cent houses in rural areas, 40 per cent in urban and 20 per cent in slum areas respectively.
He further said the government was fully committed to facilitating the masses and formulating various policies to provide jobs to youth, as 100 textile mills, which remained closed from a long time due to high prices of gas, would be revived in the near future.
Dr Saleem said the government had already decided to provide subsidiary to the industrial sector including textile, carpets, sports, and surgical instruments.
He lamented that due to the failed policies of the previous governments, the national economy was facing various challenges.
“The incumbent government is now taking serious steps for the revival of industries in order to facilitate the country’s exports, a sector whose growth is necessary for the development and prosperity of the country,” he concluded.
