Pakistan People's Party (PPP) on Saturday accused Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led federal government of sheer incompetence, saying it followed the guidelines of International Monetary Fund (IMF) in preparing 2014-15 budget. Taking part in the budget debate, PPP lawmaker Dr Nafisa Shah said the budget was prepared on the dictations of IMF, adding the government also violated 18th constitutional amendment.
Elaborating the guidelines, she said the government was forced to cut down the budget deficit, increase tax to GDP ratio and forex reserves. "Increase in BISP funds from Rs 70 to Rs 97billion rupees was also made binding on the government by the IMF," she said, adding it is a social safety net programme widely endorsed by IMF.
Highlighting the constitutional violation in the budget, she said that the government has estimated provincial surplus at Rs 289bn which is a grave violation of the 18th constitutional amendment. "This would have a negative impact on provincial services delivery, besides affecting the development projects," she said. Shah said the government has also estimated around Rs 140bn under the head of Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) in clear violation of the constitutional amendment. "Under the constitution, the provinces have complete authority to exploit their natural resources," she said.
Commenting on rumours about Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan's tiff with the government, she said the government had promised to allocate Rs 32billion for different national security projects, but no allocation was made in the budget. "This has apparently angered Chaudhry Nisar with the government and this is quite justified," she commented.
She said that the government should allocate one per cent of the National Finance Commission Award to improve law and order in Karachi and Quetta, adding the war on terror has shifted from Fata to other parts of the country. "The government should announce lucrative incentives for farmers by following subsidy model of India," she suggested, saying the agriculture subsidy should be 2.2 per cent of the GDP.
PTI member Amirullah Marwat questioned the government's target for tax collection, saying the government's decision to achieve tax collection target in 2014-15 was beyond comprehension as it failed to achieve last year's target. "If the government is so keen to privatise national entities to collect revenues, it should put forth a comprehensive policy to ensure transparency and fairness," he added.
He also suggested the government to increase salaries of government employees up to 30 per cent. About deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi, MQM member Nabil Gabol said the slum areas like Bhittaiabad and Pehlwan Goth of the metropolitan city have infested with militants. "The government should remove the slums to secure Karachi Airport," he suggested. "Next target of the Taliban seems to be the Parliament House," he said, adding the Taliban regrouped themselves during the so-called peace talks and attacked Karachi Airport.
JUI-F member Asiya Nasir questioned the constitutional provision that puts a bar on minorities from holding the office of prime minister as well as the president. Speaking on the budget, she said the government has presented a traditional budget. "It was replica of the previous budgets as there was nothing worth mentioning for the suppressed minorities," she said.
She also pointed out that the 18th constitutional amendment had devolved their ministry to a provincial level due to which there was no uniform policy; all the four provinces have different policies regarding minorities. She suggested that the government should have a ministry for the minorities at the centre.
Questioning the appointment of Maryam Nawaz as head of Prime Minister Youth Programme, PTI legislator Murad Saeed claimed the government has spent Rs 140.2 million on advertisement campaign and personal projection. "People are dying from hunger while the Prime Minister House is squandering millions of rupees on luxurious vehicles," he said. He said the PML-N had been claiming to break the begging bowl, but now they are travelling around the world by taking the bowl in their hands. Questioning the government's foreign investment policy, he said: "How the rulers can bring foreign investment in Pakistan as they have all their resources and investment abroad.
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