Pakistan has achieved tremendous economic growth rate: ADB
By Adnan Rafique

ISLAMABAD—Pakistan has achieved a tremendous economic growth rate of 7-8 percent and expected to reach around 6.6 percent this year.
This was stated by Country Director Asian Development Bank (ADB), Peter.L.Fedon while addressing the concluding session of four-day (November 27-30) workshop on ‘Economic Training for journalists’ here at the bank’s country office on Thursday.
The workshop for the economic reporters was jointly organized by Asian Development Bank and Ministry of Finance Government of Pakistan for capacity building and enhancing the professional skills of the economic correspondents of both print and electronic media. It was conducted by renowned economist and former Director Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) Dr. A.R.Kemal and around 35 journalists completed their training in the workshop.
Host of issues relating to economy of Pakistan including, National Accounts: GDP, savings and Investment, inflation measurement and its determination, Budget, Fiscal deficit and Public debt, balance of payments and external debt, Re-basing from 1980-81 to 1999-2000, underground economy and tax evasion in Pakistan:A critical evaluation, selection of basket goods and use of classification, re-basing from 2000-01 to 2006-07, an analysis of budget deficit, debt accumulation and debt instability and macroeconomic management:Breaking out of debt trap were covered during the workshop.
Peter.L.Fedon expressed the hope that this workshop would help improve professional skills of economic journalists and also enhance their scope of economic reporting. He also lauded the journalists for highlighting and analysing the economic issues.
“We want to interact in good relations with journalists and always open if it is related to accuracy,” Fedon added.
He said that a correct reporting is always good reporting.
The Country Director ADB said that Pakistan is an important member country of the bank among sixty four (64) states.
Highlighting the importance of training workshops for skill enhancement, he said that ADB also plans to conduct similar workshops for the editors of media in the country. Speaking on the occasion, Dr.A.R.Kemal highlighted the aims and objectives of the workshop and termed it highly successful as a large number of mediapersons attended the workshop. He added that similar workshops for economic journalists will also be held at Lahore and Karachi.