Daily Times

Senate Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue, and Economic Affairs Tuesday approved the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2019-20 proposals of the Finance and Revenue for their various development projects.

The committee held its meeting at Parliament House under the Chairmanship of Senator Farooq H Naik. Earlier the committee expressed its displeasure over the non-presence of minister, minister of State, Secretary Finance, and Chairman of Federal Board of Revenue saying that such attitude was not acceptable.

Discussing the agenda items, Senator Engineer Rukhsana Zuberi pointed out that the State Bank of Pakistan was not cooperating with young freelancers who are earning foreign exchange reserves.

State Bank of Pakistan not cooperating with young freelancers, says Senator

She said the government should allow such freelancers to open their accounts in different financial instruments including Paypal to ensure smooth and free of charge transfer of foreign remittances.

She also suggested the government to take special measures to increase the export of services in information technology, and software sectors which currently stands at US$ 1 billion, however this sector has the potential of over $5 billion in the country.

An official from ministry of finance informed the committee that the government had already taken such measures and now the freelancer young people of the country were receiving their foreign remittances through banking channels without additional charges.

He said during last month, the country received $120 million through such remittances.

Moreover, he said in this regard the government was also planning to organize training sessions in various cities for the young freelancers to make them aware of receiving foreign remittances against their services.

The meeting was attended by Senators Dilwar Khan, Anwar ul Haq Kakar, Mushahidullah Khan, Mian Atiq Sheikh, Rukhsana Zuberi and others.