Budget intrusion into next govt’s mandate: opposition

ISLAMABAD: The opposition on Friday rejected the federal budget 2018-19, terming it pre-poll rigging by the PML-N-led government.

Former president and PPPP President Asif Ali Zardari said it was no use commenting on the budget. “It’s an exercise that has no legal, moral and political basis but seems driven solely by greed and political ambition,” he said.

He said the government presented the budget despite opposition from three federating units of the Federation. “Keeping in view the correct moral and legal position, the PPP has decided to present the Sindh budget only for three months,” he said.

He asked as to why the federal government insisted on presenting the budget for the entire year when it would not be in power after two months. “Is it the temptation of PSDP projects worth hundreds of billions and the huge commission involved?” asked.

Zardari warned that ignoring the provinces in the PSDP formulation will only alienate the provinces and undermine the Federation. Seldom before a government in Islamabad has been so insensitive to the concerns of the federating units, he said.

Chairman Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that by presenting a full 6th budget the PML-N government had not only engaged in blatant pre-poll rigging, but also usurped the right of the next elected government that now will have to pass only four budgets. Bilawal said the federal government had ignored the protest of three chief ministers and went ahead with presenting the budget.

He said the government should have respected the moral and democratic values. “What is the legal and constitutional worth of a budget that has no endorsement of three out of four federating units of the federation, as the majority of provinces have vehemently opposed the PML-N government’s intrusion into the mandate of next elected government?”

Bilawal said the PPP government in Sindh had decided not to intrude into the authority of next government and was only preparing a 4-month budget enabling the next elected government to exercise its right to set its own budgetary priorities.

“This step of the PML-N government is an insult to the right of franchise of the people and is in fact a supportive evidence of financial scandals of blatant corruption the PML-N leadership is notorious for,” he said.

He said by imposing an unelected crony to present the federal budget the government had exposed its dictatorial grooming, undemocratic behavior and sheer hypocrisy. “The ‘Panama League’ intends to squeeze the last drop of blood of the people of Pakistan by diverting huge budgetary allocations to the projects it has been accused of taking commissions and kickbacks from,” he concluded.

Reacting to the budget, PTI senior leader Asad Umar MNA said there was no mention in the budget about how and when more than Rs500 billion circular debt and more than Rs1 trillion public sector debt would be paid.

He tweeted, “no mention in the budget about how and when the more than 500 billion [rupees] of circular debt and more than 1 trillion [rupees] of public sector debt will be paid. Totally false and understated fiscal deficit hiding large unpaid amounts [which are] not recognised in the budget".

"The budget also does not deal with the reality of dangerously falling foreign exchange reserves and the headlong rush of the economy towards a bailout," Asad Umar alleged. He claimed that the budget was totally silent on fast tumbling foreign exchange reserves and the nation was misled about power load-shedding as well.

He said despite having been rejected by the NA Standing Committee on Finance, the tax amnesty scheme was made part of the budget while the common man, who paid Rs19 tax per kilo on sugar and 40 per cent tax on petroleum products and mobile cards was given no relief in the scheme.

“The wealthy tax-evaders and money launderers and corrupt elements have been facilitated,” he charged. He contended that as a reminder of the grave external situation faced by the economy, the State Bank reserves had fallen by nearly half a billion dollar this week!

“Total fall in reserves since the IMF program ended nearly 8 billion dollars. Just over 2 months of import cover left. Danger bells ringing louder & louder,” he noted.

JI chief Sirajul Haq said the government had transgressed its mandate by presenting the whole year’s budget while its term was about to end. He said there was no planning in the budget to give due resources to the provinces. He claimed loans worth Rs2,300 billion would have to be obtained.  

Meanwhile, the opposition lawmakers in the Senate agitated over what they called ‘an unelected person presenting the budget’.   They said financial fascism was at its peak, as the budget was being presented by a person who was neither a member of the National Assembly nor of the Senate.

Amid uproar by the joint opposition, the government laid a copy of Finance Bill, 2018 in the House containing the annual budget statement. The copy was laid by Dr Miftah Ismail, Federal Minister for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs.

They castigated the government ‘for its double standards’ and decried the fact that while the Senate was being kept deprived of financial powers, an unelected man was picked up at the eleventh hour as federal finance minister to present budget 2018-19.

The fuming opposition senators walked out of the House when their call for voting on laying of reports of the standing committee on finance, economic affairs and revenue on the recently issued controversial ordinances and bills was rejected despite clear majority of opposition members in the House.

Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani ignored their calls and adopted the bills one by one. Former chairman Senate Raza Rabbani rose to assert that presentation of a budget by an unelected member of either House was in no way justified.

Rabbani retorted that the new budget was a step towards ‘financial terrorism and financial fascism’. He said the Senate was not being given financial powers under the pretext that its members were not directly elected, while an unelected member was chosen a few hours before to present the new budget.

“Financial fascism is at its height as the budget is being presented by a man who is neither a member of the National Assembly nor of the Senate,” he lamented. Rabbani did not even spare President Mamnoon Hussain and said he should not have administered oath to a person, who was not an elected member of the National Assembly or of the Senate.

“The president should have refused to administer oath to a person who is not an elected member,” he emphasised. He wondered if an unelected man could present a budget, why the upper house of parliament could not be given financial powers.

He said the budget was presented despite walkout by the chief ministers of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from a recent meeting of the National Economic Council. Rabbani said the three chief ministers had staged walkouts, while the Punjab chief minister was not present in the meeting, which meant the quorum was not complete; therefore, it was like the meeting never took place.

Taking the floor, Leader of Opposition Senator Sherry Rehman said the PML-N government was set to leave with huge debt of $22 billion which was a record loan left by any outgoing government in history of the country.

“You have no right to present the sixth budget…what’s this jugglery? We are people’s representatives and we completely reject this budget and have already given our vote of no-confidence against it,” she asserted.

Senator Sherry questioned why the government could not announce the new NFC award and alleged the government was usurping rights of masses. “The Senate completely rejects this budget,” she emphasised. Senator Sherry asserted Dr. Miftah had no right to present the budget.

Earlier, she separately wrote to Chairman Senate and NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on delay in provision of the copies of the Pakistan Economic Survey and alleged this egregious delay must be treated as an act of keeping parliamentarians unaware of the government’s performance and budget.

“The government is seeking to keep parliament out of the loop. This practice must change if the debate is to be meaningful and transparent,” she said. “It has come to my notice that no parliamentarian received copies of the Pakistan Economic Survey while its copies were provided to the media right after the government press conference.

The copies of the survey should have been delivered to all parliamentarians at least a day earlier. The finance minister should enquire into the delay in circulation of the copies of the survey,” she said.

Sanjrani directed the members to submit their budgetary proposals by April 30 after which no proposal would be entertained. After their calls were not paid heed to by chairman Senate, the combined opposition staged walkout from the House.