- Lawmakers ask govt to revisit privatisation policy, cut non-development expenditures and put country on self-reliance
- Dar says govt trying to reduce dependence on loans, has reduced fiscal deficit by half from 8.8 percent within three years
- Finance minister rejects allegations he owns property abroad, will quit politics if allegations are proven
The National Assembly on Saturday passed 75 demands for grants relating to different ministries, divisions and departments for the next fiscal year 2016-17.
These demands are related to the Climate Change Ministry, Commerce Division, Communications Division, Pakistan Post Office, Defence Division, Federal Government Educational Institutions, Housing and Works, Industries and Production Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, Law and Justice Division, Council of Islamic Ideology, National Accountability Bureau, National Assembly, Senate, National Health Services, Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Planning and Development, Pakistan Railways, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Frontier Regions, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Textile Industry.
No cut motions were moved by the opposition on the demands for grants.
Earlier in the day, the House held discussion on the charged expenditures included in the demands for grants and appropriations for the financial year 2016-17.
The charged expenditures totaling over Rs 10.42 trillion are related to different departments and services, including the Pakistan Railways, National Assembly, Senate, Supreme Court, Islamabad High Court, domestic and foreign debt servicing and repayments, Pakistan Post Office, Federal Ombudsman and Foreign Affairs Division.
Speaking on the charged expenditures, lawmakers said the government should revisit its privatisation policy and profitable units should not be privatised to pay off foreign and domestic loans. They pointed out that a major chunk of the budget was going in debt servicing and the government should cut non-development expenditures and put the country on self-reliance.
The legislators said the Pakistan Post Office had a big infrastructure and facilities like the acquisition of passport should be made available at the post offices. They also recommended enhancing salaries of elected parliamentarians, arguing that it would help end corruption.
The members said that services of the Pakistan Railways should be improved for convenience of passengers. They also said that reforms should be introduced in the judiciary in order to provide inexpensive and prompt justice to the masses.
Winding up the discussion, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said the government had reduced the fiscal deficit by half from 8.8 percent to 4.3 percent over the past three years. Apart from this, the development expenditures had been doubled while allocations for the social safety nets had been enhanced by three times, Dar said, adding, “We are trying to reduce dependence on loans.”
Rejecting criticism of opposition members on the expenditures of the President House, the finance minister said that the allocations had been made keeping in view the president’s responsibilities and activities as he had to represent the country at international forums.
The minister strongly rejected the allegations by an opposition member that he owned property abroad, and asked him to prove it and he would quit politics. He asserted that he is a Pakistani and all his assets were in Pakistan.
Referring to criticism by some members about increase in prices of pulses, the minister advised him to tell his electorates to eat chicken meat which was being sold for Rs 200/kg as the government had withdrawn taxes on it.
Dar assured the House that the demand for increase in salaries of MNAs would be reviewed after the return of the prime minister from London. The minister also said the credit went to the present government for doing away with the secret funds.