Underlining that the country's economy is passing through difficult times, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has stressed the need for increasing investment across sectors and creation of an enterprise and investment-friendly climate to help emerge from the existing difficult situation.

The Prime minister said the country was facing only a temporary downturn which should be corrected as quickly as possible. Speaking at the inauguration 8th Civil Services Day function in the capital, Dr.Singh added that the government has taken a major initiative in setting up the Cabinet Committee on Investment for fast-tracking industrial and infrastructural projects.

The Committee had made encouraging progress, but much more needed to be done, especially for building a climate that was perceived to be friendly to enterprise and investment, he added. The Prime Minister asked the bureaucrats to give maximum possible attention to it.