Mujtaba chairs meeting of Cabinet Standing Committee on legislation, privatisation

LAHORE: Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman chaired the maiden meeting of the Cabinet Standing Committee on Legislation and Privatisation at the Chief Minister's Office on Monday. Provincial Ministers Sohaib Ahmad, Zeeshan Rafique and Azma Bokhari also attended the meeting. The meeting discussed five-point agenda, including approval of land auction by the Senior Member Board of Revenue, review of the Punjab Assembly's annual calendar from Feb 2024 to Feb 2025 and approval for amendments to Punjab Sales Tax on Services Act, 2012 (Section 39-1) and Infrastructure Development Cess Act, 2015. The minister directed the law and parliamentary affairs department's secretary to prepare the Punjab Assembly's calendar for the next 100 days and keep the MPAs informed about its proceedings. A sub-committee should be formed to review the approved amendments to the Punjab Sales Tax on Services Act, 2012 and Infrastructure Development Cess Act, 2015, he added.

Transparency should be maintained in the legislative process and the inclusion of all members in legislation should be ensured, the minister said.