41.   Hamdan also urged the Government to speed up formulating a National Food Policy to enhance agricultural production and reduce food imports.

42.   He said buyers might have ample stocks after having bought a lot last year and would reduce their imports this year.

43.   He said the devaluation would reduce imports, and increase exports and make the country more attractive for investors.

44.   He said the vice president is sensitive to labor issues and helped reduce steel imports from Russia.

45.   He said the move was among several awareness and confidence building steps taken to convince local farmers to plant these vegetables and reduce imports.

46.   He said areas of priority were now those which could help reduce imports and boost agriculture production.

47.   He would not say which imports would be reduced.

48.   He said to reduce the import of drugs, the ministry encouraged local pharmaceutical companies to produce generic drugs.

49.   If we succeed in increasing our exports, reduce imports and undertake all the measures already outlined, we can maintain our growth rate.

50.   Improving efficiency would also boost production and reduce fuel imports, he said.