Politicians from the ruling alliance praised the annual budget 2011-12 and said it was an ideal financial document while politicians from the opposition parties criticised it saying it was a budget of international money lenders and was against common man’s expectations.
PPP central leader Babar Awan said the PPP government had given a good budget in the present scenario of economic challenges and global recession. He said economic managers across the world were facing difficulties and the government had given a remarkable budget within the available resources. Awan said the budget promised the flow of country’s economy in a positive direction.
Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Chairwoman Farzana Raja said formulating the federal budget in such circumstances was a hard task and its presentation in the House was a big achievement for the government. She said the Finance Ministry would release funds for the BISP and no cut would be made in a programme solely for the people.
Federal minister and PPP Lahore President Samina Ghurki said the federal budget for the fiscal year 2011-12 was a historic one and people-friendly.
She said a large amount had been allocated in the budget for development projects, adding that revolutionary steps had been taken in the budget including bringing down fiscal deficit to four percent, controlling the price hike and increasing the salaries of the government employees by 15 percent and a hike in pension between 15 to 20 percent.
Former federal minister and PPP Punjab President Imtaiz Safdar Waraich said the government was making all-out efforts to improve the living standard of the people. Waraich said the budget would help resolve problems of the people.
PPP Punjab General Secretary Samiullah Khan called the budget people-friendly and welcomed the increase in the salaries of government employees.
PPP leader Tanvir Ashraf Kaira said the government had empowered the provinces by awarding the NFC to them and taking practical steps for an independent judiciary.
MQM leader Farooq Sattar stressed the need for taking steps for the economic uplift of the country’s people. He said more job opportunities should be created for the people and the tax system should be improved on a priority basis. Sattar said the country was already facing problems such as terrorism, law and order, unemployment, inflation and poverty and urged the government to give more relief to the poor in the budget.
Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Nisar Ali Khan said reaction and protest by the opposition members during the budget session was what he called bad governance.
“The government should have shown real picture of this country. This is not the situation you see in the country…It’s not the time to sit in air-conditioned rooms and thump desks,” Nisar said.
PML-N MNA Hanif Abbasi said the budget did not fulfil the expectations of the peoples’ representatives. He said the problems had been identified in the budget but their solutions had not been given.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan said the budget was anti-masses and political leaders who supported the budget in the National Assembly would be equally responsible for suppressing the masses.
He called the federal budget a jugglery of words, saying that no significant project had to be launched for socio-economic development and welfare of the people. Imran said the budget had disappointed the poor of the country who were bearing brunt of the war against terrorism.
JI chief Munawar Haasan and Secretary General Liaquat Baloch called the annual budget 2011-12 “the budget of international money lenders and not of the people of Pakistan”.
They were of the view that 15 percent raise in the salaries of government employees was totally inadequate in comparison to a 25 percent price rise in the outgoing year.
The JI leaders said the government seemed bent upon acquiring foreign and domestic loans which would lead to further increase in taxes, POL prices as well as electricity and gas charges.
APML spokesman Fawad Chaudhry said the current year’s budget had been designed against expectations of the common man as no relief had been announced in the mounting charges of electricity, POL and commodities prices.
Coming just a few days back from Pakistan,I wish to stress the importance of these observations ,I picked from your 'box'.I would also request CH Nisar,Nawaz Sharif Imran Khan to give attention to it.(Parliament, pandemonium)
What is the actual budget outlay? Finance minister talked of 2504 billions; newspaper TV channels also talk of 2767,3784(perhaps) billion rupees. If GOP gives on e figure in parliament another to TV channels-how can you trust the already most untrustworthy government sold to USA,UK,NATO for paltry dollars to fight their war and eat 17 billion dollars of its poor exchequer -just to continue itself in power.However,the 20-15% raise in salaries,pensions,time and again in last three years to corruption sunk government sector employees is tantamount to spreading ,encouraging corruption to the limits of skies. Like Benazir Income support programme funded by some 100 billion rupees by now from national exchequer has been cleverest technique to boost PPP-Zardari vote bank, the said increase of government employees is another-election, vote bank spefic.The question is who will support ones other than them in private sector,safaidposhs etc-will angels come to give them some relief who have killed by PPP-Z,MQM,ANP,MLQ governments for last darkest 44 months?The previous raises en-blocke to the corrupts only made us worst corrupt and inflation to astronomically rise with no check and control of government machinery in Center or provinces. It will be another shocking inflation, horrendous corruption and free for all for looters, plunderers this coalition cartel is known to come to stay. They must now leave the nation for honest, noble and competent people to rule us and people should unite for it or it would be too late.[2]
IT will crush the already crushed poor. Zardari late evening induction of election -vote bank designed bribery' of 15% salaries increase and 20% increase in pension will unleash the flood of anther 'mehangi'and corruption. The one stroke sweeping act will cost cash starved-deficit budget by 1000 trillion now and could reach 2000 billion by the close of 2012 .The budget is a meaningless exercise except to design how to loot and plunder the nation-where,when,how and with whom. This the budget lay our programme of loot and plunder, escalating corruption astronomically because you reward the worst corrupts by another 20-15% increase in pensions and salaries.90 percent government employees are already corrupt and have generated hundred of millions rather billions of rupees assets from clerk,patwari,meter reader to grade 22 to prime minister,president,by trillion of dollars. in last 44 months of the worst ever corrupt government of PPP-Z,MQM,ANP,MLQ .The richest farmers-industrialists, commodity traders,investors,middle men, banks ,corrupt politiciands,government,opposition reaped some 40000 billion dollars from manipulating of commodity shortages, heavily increasing support prices etc and never taxed and still for being most influential and ruling clout along with deficit of 10000 billion rupees of 2011 and 11 000 billion rupees is all corruption along with hundred of billions of rupees loans waiver must be recovered to kick start the economy and give oxygen to poor.The war on terror fought for USA,UK,NATO has not made us slave to drones,UK,NATO,USA but also costs us 17-18 billion dollars per annum while the coalition support fund-Kerry Lugar dollars are peanuts by some 1.5 billion dollars in piecemeal installments to ruin our economy and poor. This war id Zardari specific to perpetuate his power and protect his trillion of dollars assets here and abroad and of his clout who either have harvested it by corrupt means,bathakhori,target killing of thousands Karachites condoned by virtual king MR Zardari whose and his cursed coalition clout of PPP-Z,MQM,ANP ,MLQ has been darkest years of Pakistan bring us to brink of subjugation to India and slavery to USA not by negligence,incompetence,horrendous corruption but by design from day NRO blessed PPP-Zardari and his cursed coalition of PPP-Z,.MQM,ANP,MMA,MLQ took reign of government. For seven long years PPP along with MLN and other did not let Musharraf address parliaments and every hour in session was spent in worst antagonistic slogans against him and his government. But anti government slogans were only raised for the first time yesterday and PPP-Zardari was annoyed. I believe it was the unkindest cut of Nawaz Sharif to sixteen crore made poorer by this tyrannical Government to have been foolishly kinder TO PPP-Z, MQM, ANP,MLQ to have not opposed this treacherous clout from day one to have saved Pakistan from the brink of manipulative disastrous precipice. I would urge the opposition parties and even those form the government if they are true Pakistan to come out in opposition and demand immediate resignation of President, Prime minister, assemblies and neutral government of patriotic, honest men is appointed to hold free ,unrigged election to elect honest,noble,competent, representatives which nation should never falter in making the choices of evil, history sheeters,bathakhors,target killers,blackmailers,opportunist and corrupts. It is curse for any country and nation to keep a government who is not trusted for one word or one act which fallen it from its grace, dignity and, integrity and sovereignty.
Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has received widespread acceptance from development partners. It uses technology so that the possibilities of corruption are limited. This year, the government spent Rs35 billion for providing a monthly stipend of Rs1,000 to low-income households and next year this amount will increase to at least Rs50 billion. If additional resources are available, this amount may be increased to Rs65 billion.
The government hopes to reduce the fiscal deficit further. It also hopes to reduce the rate of inflation to single digit levels through continued fiscal consolidation. A broad, equitable and stable revenue mobilization system is under construction to meet our development needs. The government is maintaining and further developing social safety nets for the vulnerable while moving rapidly towards the elimination of untargeted subsidies. It is restructuring the loss-making public sector enterprises where possible. And despite its financial constraints, no new taxes have been levied.
The government understands and is aware of the difficulties being faced by government servants and pensioners. In order to provide some economic relief to them, the people’s government has increased their salaries by 15 per cent and pensions by 20 per cent. The government’s vision is to bring the poor and vulnerable segments of the population into the mainstream of development. It does not care about the propaganda campaign started by the PML-N, which was evident during the budget session. Rather, it believes in constructive criticism.
Comments are closed.