Daily Times

Senator A. Rehman Malik has written a letter to Senator Farooq H. Naek, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Finance to include his suggestions in recommendation by Senate regarding budget.

In the letter, Senator A. Rehman Malik was of the view that in addition to his speech in the Senate House on budget, he gives some subsequent suggestions for inclusion in the recommendations to be made by the Senate House to the National Assembly for the Budget for Financial year 2020-21:-

His suggestion as following:

Relief for salaried class/daily wages workers:

1. The salaries of the government servants should be increased by 20 percent.

2. Government must announce a special package for the private/daily wages employees for enhancement of their salaries by their employers.

3. Government should allocate special funds for self-employment business opportunities enabling those who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19, to get start their own small business.

Health/Medical:

4. Government must allocate at least Rs.100 billion for construction of temporary hospitals for treatment of COVID-19 patients and for purchase of medical equipment, protective kits (PPEs) for doctors, paramedical staff, army, rangers, police and other law enforcement agencies who are giving duty on the front line during COVID-19.

5. The salaries of the medical and para-medical staff should be enhanced upto 75 percent.

Agriculture/Livestock:

6. Government has allocated only Rs.50 billion under Corona Stimulus Package for fertilizer subsidy, loan remissions and other relief to the farmers, which may be enhanced to Rs.100 billion.

7. A Special Tax Relief Package should be given for agriculture i.e. wheat crops and livestock, dairy farming etc. to provide relieve to small farmers.

Small Water Reservoirs:

8. Government should allocate more funds for management of rain water reservoirs.

9. Special funds should also be allocated for construction of new small/mini dams.

EDUCATION/INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY:

10. Government should enhance the budgetary allocation for on-line education development programme through I.T./Internet access, especially in remote areas.

11. The budgetary allocation of Higher Education Commission (HEC) should be enhanced to Rs.100 billion.

Aviation:

12. Government should allocate funds for improvement in the Aviation Sector and to upgrade Airports all over the country.

In his statement, Senator A. Rehman Malik has said that the current budget is nothing but playing with the statistical figures just to complete the usual budget formalities. He added that the government has no vision to steer the country out of Covid-19 crisis which are going to increase by many folds.

He said that the minds of leadership of government are frozen as they are working without having a vision and have not been able to decide the amicable course to control the pandemic adding that this fact is reflected in the budget and we see is no extra budgetary provisions for health sector allocated to control Covid-19 which is the real issue today. He said that the budget is also failing to identify as to which segment of the society it is directed for and the public at large thinks that neither it is serving the business class nor the daily wager.

Senator Rehman Malik said that the government has clearly failed to demonstrate a sense of leadership when our country is facing problems on every front.