President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), Mian Zahid Hussain has said that Fata continue to brave losses to the tune of billions of rupees due to war on terror which has devastated its economy therefore, it should be included in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. Fata is receiving Rs 21 billion in annual development allocation which is less than required resulting in poverty, restlessness and dismal economic activity, he said.
He said that people of Fata continue to share burden of GST, Customs Duty and Federal Excise Duty which justifies annual allocation of 90 billion rupees annually. The people should also get royalty of the dams constructed in the tribal areas while widespread corruption in the developmental schemes should be stopped, he added.
He said that NFC award formed under Article 160 of the constitution but all the areas except federation and provinces were not given its membership which is violation of the rights of people. Per capital allocation of Fata is 155 percent less than Gilgit-Baltistan and 240 percent less than Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which is a reason behind unrest and negative tendencies in the area, he said.
After the 18th Amendment, the revenue generated through oil and gas is to be shared by the federal and provincial governments at the ratio of 50:50. However, Fata is not included in the resource sharing formula which should be reviewed without any delay, he demanded.
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