Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Wednesday that the government had outlined a five-pronged strategy to alleviate, a strategy centred on cash support and skill development, good governance, energy sector reforms, political pluralism and national ownership of Pakistan’s security strategy in order to solve the problems the nation was facing and provide relief to the common man.
Talking to parliamentarians who called on him separately at Parliament House, the prime minister said the pro-people budget of 2011-12 was a step towards macroeconomic stability and provision of relief to the people. He said the government was receiving positive feedback from various sections of society on the budget.
The prime minister said the government had increased salaries by 50 percent last year and 15 percent this year, along with a 25 percent increase in conveyance allowance for employees of BPS 1 to 15.
He said pensions were also increased by 15 percent to 20 percent and the government had not imposed any new taxes in the budget, but had reduced the General Sales Tax by 1 percent and abolished flood surcharge and Special Excise Duty.
Gilani said the government had raised the tax exemption limit from Rs 300,000 to Rs 350,000 to benefit low-income groups. He said Rs 730 billion had been earmarked for the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) and an extra Rs 500 billion had been provided to the NFC Award.
In order to support the poorest segments of society, the government had allocated Rs 65 billion to the Benazir Income Support Programme. He said the regulatory duty had also been abolished on 392 commodities.
He said the government was working on a holistic agenda to make up for the energy deficit that slowed down national growth and created unemployment. He said the government had allocated Rs 32.5 billion in the budget 2011-12 to expediting various power projects.
Gilani said it was incumbent upon parliamentarians, particularly those belonging to the treasury, to promote democratic and parliamentary norms in society.
He said socio-economic development could not take place in the absence of political stability. He said further that in order to fight the challenges at the external front, there was a need for unity within the broader spectrum across the political and social divide. He added that the government would welcome the proposals of the opposition.
National Assembly Member (MNA) Chaudhry Zahid Iqbal demanded allocation of more funds for the Cheecha Watni Ghalla Mandi and development projects. He invited the prime minister to inaugurate the Harappa-Cheecha Watni bypass and gas supply schemes in his constituency.
MNA Nawab Sher Waseer also invited the prime minister to visit his constituency to inaugurate gas supply schemes for 40 towns and settlements. The parliamentarians briefed the prime minister about the status of various development schemes launched under the last fiscal year’s PSDP in their constituencies.
They also discussed new development schemes to be launched in their constituencies to improve civic amenities.
Ports and Shipping Minister Babar Khan Ghauri and MNAs Bushra Rehman and Sahibzada Murtaza Amin also called on the prime minister.
