The federal government has decided to convene a meeting of the National Finance Commission in the last week of November to move forward the next award, a media report said.
The decision came after a meeting presided over by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. The meeting reviewed the progress achieved so far by the working groups.
The decision came after provinces demanded of the Centre to transfer the control over collection of royalties on oil and gas produced in their areas.
Sindh says the Centre should surrender its right to collect royalties on oil and gas and sales tax on goods.
Dar stressed the need to enhance efforts at federal and provincial levels to increase revenue mobilisation in order to boost economic growth. As initial work has been completed, it’s time to move to the next steps for completion of the award, he said.
He emphasised for increased focus on resource mobilisation and strengthening of relations between the federation and provinces to achieve national harmony and partnership.
Earlier, Sindh’s member on NFC Senator Saleem Mandviwalla in a statement said the provinces would write a letter to Premier Nawaz Sharif to convene a meeting on new NFC award at the earliest. He demanded that the Centre should surrender the right to collect royalties on oil and gas and sales tax on goods to the provinces.
Sindh’s member said that the provinces should be given the right of collecting sales tax on goods because it was their basic right which was being denied even after the passage of the 18th Amendment.