Issue 43

Budget Study Centre   Issue 43
June 27, 2019

CPDI BUDGET WATCH

Fortnightly Budget News Alerts
 

GB Assembly approves Rs 62.95b budget

The Nation (June 27, 2019)

GILGIT    –   Gilgit Baltistan (GB) Assembly here on Wednesday unanimously approved over Rs62.95 billion budget for financial year 2019-20 for which Rs 17 billion were allocated for development projects and Rs 37 billion for non-development budget in the province. The members of Treasury and Opposition benches made detailed discussion on the budget before… Read More
 

NA passes 92 demands for grant for FY 2019-20

The Nation (June 27, 2019)

ISLAMABAD   –  The PTI government in Wednesday’s National Assembly sitting approved 92 demands for grants relating to different federal ministries, division and departments for the next financial year, disapproving all the cut-motions moved by opposition with ‘voice of vote’.

The house, in a daylong session, saw maximum participation of treasury lawmakers ensuring to reject all the cut… Read More

 

KP Assembly passes Rs.900 billion budget for year 2019-20

The News (June 26, 2019)

PESHAWAR: The Provincial Assembly with Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani in the chair Wednesday passed Rs.900 billion budget for the year 2019-20 amid uproar by the opposition members protesting the bulldozing of the cut motions in their absence by the chair. The assembly approved 61 demands for grants in a unilateral proceeding of the house as the opposition members… Read More
 

Budget 19-20: Opposition members move cut motions on finance bill proposals

The Dawn (June 26, 2019)

As the National Assembly session held to debate the finance bill resumed on Wednesday, members of the opposition began moving cut motions seeking changes to budget proposals, which will be voted on by lawmakers in the House today. Prime Minister Imran Khan is in attendance today, while opposition ranks appear thin as several PPP, PML-N and other leaders are gathered at a hotel in… Read More
 

NA budget debate: Govt under fire over failed economic policies

The News (June 25, 2019)

ISLAMABAD: The female parliamentarians from the opposition parties while taking part in budget debate on Monday unleashed strong criticism on the government for failure of its economic policies and also called into question credibility of ruling party and its leadership. Former Finance Minister of the last PPP tenure Hina Rabbani Khar, PML-N government’s Information Minister… Read More
 

Senate approves 65 recommendations to NA about budget

The News (June 25, 2019)

While PM’s Finance Adviser Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh could not make the annual budget speech because he is not a member of either House, he spoke at length at Wednesday’s traditional post-Budget press conference, untrammelled by parliamentary restrictions, and re ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Monday unanimously approved 65 recommendations to the National… Read More
 

CPDI lauds raise in KP’s health and education budgets

The Business Recorder (June 24, 2019)

PESHAWAR: Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) has welcomed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) budget 2019-20 for increasing development allocations of education, health, social protection, energy and environment. However, declining percentage share of these sectors in overall development budget is a cause of concern. According to a press statement issued here on Sunday, the KP … Read More
 

Qatar also offers US $3 billion to Pakistan

The Express Tribune (June 24, 2019)

ISLAMABAD: Doha on Monday announced new investments worth a total of US $3 billion in the form of deposits and direct investments to Islamabad through a statement issued by the Qatari Foreign Ministry “The Qatari support comes after Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s [two-day] visit to Pakistan to underscore the deep relations between the two brotherly countries and … Read More
 

Health of the budget

The News (June 23, 2019)

In its recently announced annual budget, for the fiscal year 2019-20, the Punjab government allocated Rs279 billion for health sector. While the government claimed that the allocation budget was up by 20 percent from the current fiscal year (which ends June 30), the fact is that the caretaker government had allocated Rs284 bn for health.

To put it in other words, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led provincial… Read More

 

CPDI hails KP govt for increasing development allocations

The Nation (June 23, 2019)

LAKKI MARWAT: The Center for Peace and Development Initiatives hails Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government  for increasing development allocations of Education, Health, Social Protection, Energy and Environment sectors in the recently presented annual budget for fiscal year 2019-20, claimed Haji Inayatullah Khan District Program Manager of Community… Read More
 

Fiery speeches in NA over budget

The News (June 22, 2019)

ISLAMABAD: Members of the opposition on Friday delivered fiery speeches about the federal budget and PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah reminded the PTI government its every single promise. Khursheed Shah came down harshly on the PTI government for not fulfilling any promise with the people and its leadership for taking U-turns. “Imran Khan had stated that he will not take IMF… Read More
 

Senate opposition rejects budget

The News (June 22, 2019)

ISLAMABAD: Joint opposition in the Senate on Friday rejected the budget, fearing if approved by the Parliament, it would add to crime and poverty, as it had been thrashed out not by the government but by the International Monetary Fund. On the other hand, a treasury legislator insisted that there would be inquiry into the spending of Rs24000 billion in previous … Read More
 

NA continues discussion on budget 2019-20

The Radio Pakistan (June 21, 2019)

The National Assembly continued discussion on the budget for next fiscal year on Friday. Sahibzada Sibghatullah described the budget as investment friendly. He said the country has been put on the right track and it will move forward on the path of progress and development.

Khawaja Asif said the withdrawal of zero rated facility for export oriented industry will not only cut job opportunities… Read More

 

Asad finds fault with budget, discloses details of IMF talks

The Dawn (June 21, 2019)

ISLAMABAD: Opposing a decision of the government of his own Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to increase taxes on items of daily use, former finance minister Asad Umar on Thursday called for an investigation into a constant increase in sugar prices. Taking part in the debate on the budget in the National Assembly soon after the speech of a subdued Asif Zardari … Read More
 

PM-N left budget deficit of Rs 1300bn in Punjab: Hammad

The Pakistan Today (June 20, 2019)

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azhar on Thursday said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) PML-N left a budget deficit of Rs1300 billion in Punjab during its tenure. Responding to the speech of MNA Dr Aisha Ghaus Pasha, who served as Finance Minister Punjab during the tenure of PML-N,  the minister said those claiming to serve the masses in past left a budget deficit of Rs1300 billion in last fiscal year … Read More
 

Budget 2019: Will GST be removed on health insurance premium in the upcoming budget

The Financial Express (June 20, 2019)

Budget 2019 India: Union Budget 2019 India may give a fresh look at the health insurance industry paving way for lower cost in terms of premium paid towards medical insurance and giving incentives in terms of higher deductions from total income in order to boost the sector. The tax benefit under section 80D of the Income Tax Act, 1961, could be revised upwards. Currently, the maximum … Read More
 

Environment protection, courts and prison neglected in Punjab dev budget: CPDI

The Business World (June 19, 2019)

Jhang: Punjab government has not given due share to environment protection, police, law courts and prison administration in its development budget 2019-20. Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) shared while reacting to, otherwise relatively balanced, budget. Climate change and terrorism are the two major issues challenging country’s economic growth in different ways … Read More
 

Pakistan budgets for luxuries and arms, neglects development

The Asia Times (June 19, 2019)

It was quite shocking recently to see irony dying a thousand deaths as I read the sentence at the very top of recent tender notices issued by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in Islamabad. It invited contractors to submit proposals for the construction of “New Cages for Parrots at the Zoo of Aiwan-Sadr,” the President House, which would cost 1.94 million Pakistani rupees (US$12,000), … Read More
 

KP unveils Rs 900bn tax free surplus budget

The Pakistan Today (June 18, 2019)

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Finance Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra on Tuesday presented the provincial budget 2019-20, with Rs900 billion tax-free surplus budget. The provincial finance minister presented the annual budget in the KP Assembly amid uproar by the opposition benches that were protesting the non-issuance of a production order for former president… Read More
 

Ruckus mars NA budget session yet again

The Pakistan Today (June 18, 2019)

ISLAMABAD: A day after Prime Minister Imran Khan directed his ministers to respond in kind to the opposition, the treasury benches created ruckus in the National Assembly (NA), resulting in Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif’s third and another failed attempt to complete his speech on the Federal Budget 2019-20. Sharif, also the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz… Read More
 

Budget-Not all is doom and gloom

The Pakistan Today (June 17, 2019)

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s PTI led government has announced a tough budget to arrest the alarming build up in public debt over the last decade. Dr Hafiz Shaikh in his press conference at the launch of the Economic Survey FY19 lamented that the size of the public debt has reached unsustainable levels. Public debt increased from Rs 7.7 trillion in FY2009 to over Rs 28.6 trillion in FY2019, meaning that … Read More
 

CPDI react to fed budget 2019-20 with concern

The Frontier Post (June 17, 2019)

PESHAWAR: Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) reacts to federal budget 2019-20 with concern as development allocations for education and health sectors decrease while ambitious tax targets and multi folds increase for climate change and Water Resources seem tough to achieve. The volume of Federal Development Budget 2019-20 is RS. 949,896 million… Read More
 

Finance adviser denies budget is IMF dictated

The Express Tribune (June 16, 2019)

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s grim economic situation demanded sacrifices and it was rubbish to say that it was an International Monetary Fund (IMF) dictated budget, Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said on Saturday. The finance adviser also said that it was irritating that people were saying that Rs5.550 trillion tax collection target of the Federal Board of Revenue was … Read More
 

Missed opportunities: on economic survey and budget

The Pakistan Today by Omer Javed (June 16, 2019)

Sadly, there is not much difference in the quality of economic survey for 2018/19, from that of the past. Indeed, an opportunity was missed by the PTI government to make an in-depth survey of the economy to learn the issues facing it in a much-needed greater depth and breadth. This was important to plan for improving the economy and taking it towards the ‘new Pakistan’. Extensive teams of economic… Read More
 

Economic experts see silver lining in budget

The Express Tribune (June 15, 2019) 

While several measures taken in the federal budget 2019-20 are raising fears in nearly all sectors of economy and various segments of society, it may well pay good dividends in the longer run through measures taken for enhanced fiscal discipline and meaningful economic management. It was however essential to develop a national consensus through effective communication strategy to see off the… Read More
 
  

Govt gives south Punjab a major share in budget

The Pakistan Today (June 15, 2019)

LAHORE: Provincial Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakhat on Saturday said that equal development across Punjab, social protection and human resource development were the pivot of the provincial budget 2019-20. He was addressing a  post-budget press conference and was accompanied by Punjab Finance Secretary Abdullah Khan… Read More

 

Sindh presents Rs 1.2tr budget amid opposition’s protest

The Pakistan Today (June 14, 2019)

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who also holds the portfolio of finance minister, on Friday presented an Rs1,217 billion budget with zero deficit for the next financial year 2019-20 amid strong protest by the opposition members. Moreover, the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the next financial year is Rs283.5 billion which… Read More

 

The cherished dream of Budget 2020

The Pakistan Today by Omer Zaheer Meer (June 14, 2019)

“I have a dream”. These were the famous words which led to a drastic change in the USA, uttered at a key junction of history. With the budget pending approval, I too have a dream to share with the readers. The dream starts with the federal budget of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan having just been approved. There are widespread celebrations across the country… Read More