ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly passed seventy-five demands for grants relating to different ministries, divisions and departments for the next fiscal year on Saturday.
These related to Climate Change, Commerce Division, Communications Division, Pakistan Post Office, Defense 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, NAB, the National Assembly, the 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 the Textile industry.
The opposition moved no cut motions on these demands for grants.
Earlier, winding up discussion on charges expenditures, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said the present government has reduced the fiscal deficit by half from 8.8 percent to 4.3 percent over the last three years. Apart from this, the development expenditures have been doubled while allocations for the social safety nets have been enhanced by three times. He said we are trying to reduce dependence on loans.
Rejecting criticism of the opposition members on the expenditures of the President house, the Finance Minister said that the allocations have been made keeping in view his responsibilities and activities, as he has to represent the country at international forums.
Ishaq Dar assured that the salaries of MNAs would be reviewed after the return of the Prime Minister from London.
The Finance Minister said credit goes to the present government for doing away with the secret funds.
The house held discussion on the Charged Expenditures included in the Demands for Grants and Appropriations for financial year 2016-17.
Charged expenditures totaling over 10.42 trillion related to different departments and services including Pakistan Railways, National Assembly, the Senate, the Supreme Court, Islamabad High Court, domestic and foreign debt servicing and repayments, Pakistan Post Office, Wafaqi Mohtasib and the foreign affairs division.
Speaking on the charged expenditures, the members said the government should revisit its privatization policy and profitable units should not be privatized to pay off the foreign and domestic loans. They pointed out that a major amount of the budget is going in debt servicing and the government should cut non-development expenditures and put the country on self-reliance.
They said Pakistan Post Office has a big infrastructure and facilities like the acquisition of passport should be made available at the post offices. They recommended that the salaries of elected parliamentarians should be enhanced, as it will also help end corruption.
The members said that services of Pakistan Railways should be improved for the convenience of the passengers.
They said reforms should be introduced in the judiciary in order to provide inexpensive and prompt justice to the masses.
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