Mini-budget to increase inflation, warns QWP leader

PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) provincial Chairman Sikandar Hayat Sherpao said on Wednesday that the mini-budget announced by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led federal government would increase inflation and affect the poor. In a statement, he said the prices of gas and electricity had been hiked, terming the mini-budget a series of mini-budgets.

He said that gas and electricity tariff hike would badly hit the people from the downtrodden segments of the society who were already facing inflation. "Instead of giving relief to the have-nots, the government has compounded their problems," he remarked. Sikandar Sherpao said the PTI used to criticise the previous government for imposing indirect taxation, but now its government had resorted to this practice which was sheer injustice to the people.

"Indirect taxation is regressive taxation which affects the low income people the most and have less effect on the rich," he maintained. The QWP leader opined that it seemed the government wanted to pass on the burden to the people instead of cutting its spending and expenditures.

He said the federal government had announced to adopt austerity measures to reduce expenses, but it did not take any practical step. The QWP leader said that contrary to its claims, the PTI-led federal government was also relying on loans.

Sikandar Sherpao said the PTI should tell the nation about the impact of its measures to ensure transparency. He said the rulers were claiming to generate Rs100 billion through innovative measures without explaining what those innovative measures were. "They need to explain it to the people and the Parliament," he stressed. He said the mini-budget was silent about the election promises made by the PTI about constructing five million houses, creating 10 million jobs and planting 10 billion trees.