ISLAMABAD, May 22: Prime Minister Shuakat Aziz on Monday assured the Pakistan Muslim League leadership that the new budget would be people- and investor-friendly with major focus on reducing inflation and bringing down prices of essential commodities.

Speaking at a pre-budget meeting of the PML central executive committee presided over by party president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the prime minister briefed the participants on various aspects of next year’s budget and assured them that it would help increase foreign and local investment.

He said the budget would benefit all segments of the society.

The sugar crisis echoed in the two-and-a-half-hour meeting as a member of the senior Leaguers criticised the reported involvement of some ministers in the scam.

Former prime minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali pointed out that the sugar scam had tarnished the country’s image because of involvement of some ministers and action should have been taken against such people.

Gohar Ayub Khan and Majeed Malik also spoke on the issue while Syed Kabir Ali Wasti demanded that the prime minister should seek resignation of one or more members of his cabinet.

The most members of the committee expressed anguish over skyrocketing prices and said warned that it might have an adverse effect on the party’s performance in the election.

The prime minister welcomed suggestions given by the leaders and assured them that their constructive proposals would be incorporated in the budget.

He claimed that the government’s efforts of bringing down poverty had yielded encouraging results.

He said it would be his seventh budget which would have an effective strategy for controlling the price hike and providing incentives to the salaried class.

He said extensive steps were being taken keeping in view national security and defence needs and no step would be taken which would have negative effects on average citizens.

The government, he said, was preparing a comprehensive strategy, the focus of which was on giving relief to average citizens in accordance with certain priorities. He said the government would monitor prices of essential items and would not allow price instability.

He said a price management programme would be initiated to keep the prices at a reasonable level. He said that if the need arose the prices would be frozen.

The PML leaders stressed the need for reducing electricity and gas prices, saying that if that was not possible the rates should at least not be increased.

They called for adoption of a comprehensive strategy to control population and to bring more people into the tax net. They said steps should be taken to stop tax evasion.

They proposed the setting up of a census authority and steps for the welfare of senior citizens, women and retired employees.

They said it should be ensured that no mini-budget came after the presentation of the annual budget.

It was decided that the prime minister would also brief the parliamentary party before presentation of the budget.