Senate resumes debate on budget

ISLAMABAD: The Senate resumed general discussion on the next year federal budget on Wednesday which was presented in the National Assembly on June 3 by the Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh.

Taking part in the debate Gul Muhammad Lot said that in the present budget no new tax has been levied which will provide relief to the people as envisioned by our Shaheed leader Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

He welcomed reduction in general sales tax and proposed to further bring it down to fourteen per cent from sixteen per cent. He said that reduction in excise duties will help check the prices of essential commodities besides reducing the price of other construction material including cement.

Appreciating the raise in salaries and pensions of government employees, Gul Muhammad Lot said a minimum wage should also be announced for labor class. He also suggested increasing the tax exemption from three hundred and fifty thousand rupees to four hundred and fifty thousand rupees to facilitate the salaried class.

Abdul Haseeb Khan while taking part in the debate said that efforts should be made to curb corruption while making the development expenditures more effective and efficient to put the country on the right track.

He said that focus should also be laid down on the promotion of industries to achieve the growth rate of six to seven percent. (PPI)