ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday announced that the federal government will provide 100% funding to develop Pakistan’s first indigenous vaccine against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), saying the initiative will strengthen the Livestock Sector and boost exports.

Addressing the national seminar titled Harnessing Pakistan’s Livestock Potential in Islamabad, the prime minister said agriculture and livestock have the potential to revive Pakistan’s economy if both sectors receive sustained investment and coordinated policy support.

He said controlling Foot and Mouth Disease is essential for expanding livestock exports and improving the country’s competitiveness in international markets.

Shehbaz also announced that the government will send another 1,000 agriculture graduates from all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir to China this year for advanced training at state expense, continuing a programme launched last year.

During the event, the prime minister inaugurated the Pakistan Animal Identification and Traceability System, which aims to improve livestock productivity through genetic enhancement, disease control and better sector-wide coordination.

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Separately, while chairing a meeting on the performance of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Shehbaz described the business community as the backbone of Pakistan’s economy and directed tax authorities to address genuine concerns of businesses on a priority basis.

He instructed senior FBR officials to visit Karachi during the first week of every month to maintain direct engagement with the business community and resolve issues promptly.

The prime minister said companies that comply with tax laws would receive official recognition in appreciation of their contribution to the national economy.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving the ease of doing business, encouraging investment and exports, and making the tax system simpler and more transparent.

Officials informed the meeting that production monitoring systems have been installed in the sugar, cement, tobacco, tiles and fertiliser industries, while similar systems are being introduced in the textile and beverage sectors.

According to the briefing, production monitoring generated an additional Rs42 billion in tax revenue from the sugar industry, Rs38 billion from the cement sector and Rs15 billion from the beverage industry over the past year.

In another meeting, Shehbaz directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to strengthen coordination with provincial governments and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities during the ongoing monsoon season.

NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik briefed the prime minister on emergency preparedness, the development of an early warning system and cooperation with the Ministry of Climate Change.

Later, during a meeting with United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, the prime minister stressed that increasingly severe climate-related events require stronger preparedness, greater resilience and closer international cooperation.

He thanked the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for supporting Pakistan during the devastating 2022 floods and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to strengthening global humanitarian cooperation and disaster response.

Tom Fletcher appreciated Pakistan’s partnership with OCHA and briefed the prime minister on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, while also acknowledging Pakistan’s continued support for humanitarian operations in Afghanistan.