Rabbani voices concern over delay in formation of NFC

ISLAMABAD: Former Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani raised serious concerns about the failure of the federal government to constitute a National Finance Commission (NFC) and said that the federal government is preparing the next annual budget without constituting the NFC Award, and Budget 2025-2026 will not be acceptable to the provinces until and unless a new NFC is constituted.

“The 7th NFC Award was signed in 2009 and took effect in 2010, and 15 years have passed and a new NFC Award has not been announced. This is a violation of Article 160, Constitution, 1973, which states that the President shall constitute a National Finance Commission, at intervals not exceeding five years,” he said while raising concern about the failure of the Federal Government for not constituting the NFC Award.

Raza Rabbani appealed to the Pakistan People’s Party to raise its voice against this continuous constitutional violation as the provinces were being devoid of their due share in the Federal Divisible Pool.

The former Chairman Senate opined that it is further a violation of clause (3A), Article 160, Constitution, 1973, which states that each award of the NFC shall not be less than the share given to the provinces in the previous award.

Rabbani said that the provinces should bring into effect the proviso of clause (3), Article 154, Constitution, 1973, and call upon the Prime Minister to convene a meeting of the CCI to discuss this issue, continuous violation of Article 160, Constitution, 1973, wherein the NFC Award has not been announced for the past over 15 years.