People on Friday had mixed responses to the Rs 3.7 trillion proposed budget 2011-2012, tabled by the PPP in the National Assembly through Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh.
Talking to Pakistan Today, banker Tariq Sheikh said the PPP had presented a balanced financial plan. “It is a good sign that the government increased salaries by 15 percent at a time Pakistan is facing political and economic crises. The government also decreased the general sales tax by one percent,” he said. Sana Khalid, a student said it was “not a balanced budget as some things have been concealed for now and time will decide if it is good or bad”. “The government should have increased the budget of HEC and Pakistan Railways,” she said, adding that the government should take decisive steps for controlling the rising inflation. A rickshaw diver, Muhammad Imran, said there was nothing new in the budget proposal. The government has imposed more and more taxes on the poor, “we need basic necessities of life and the government has totally failed to provide that”, he said.
Citizen Riazullah told Pakistan Today that the budget proposal was a routine matter.
“It is a profit or loss game. Some years ago, people anticipated the budget, but the government now imposes taxes on a daily basis. Every government institution, like the Railways, PIA, WAPDA and others, has moved closer to bankruptcy,” he said.
Another citizen Fahim Riaz said it was a shame that the present govt could not present a budget per the wishes of the people. “The government increased the defence budget but did not pay attention to social welfare. The govt should have imposed tax on the feudals, the aristocratic class and capitalists, not the poor, he said. A shopkeeper said it was a good effort that the government presented an “almost balanced budget”. “I think govt salaries and pension should have been increased by 30 percent,” he said. Liaquat Ai said the present government did not give any attention to the poor. Hamza Maqsood, a solicitor, said the present budget did not have anything new, adding that the budget was a joke with the people.
