Rehman Malik urges govt to present people-friendly budget

ISLAMABAD: Former Interior minister and Chairman Institute of Research and Reforms (IRR) Senator Rehman Malik has urged the government to present a people-friendly budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

“In Pakistan, with a 14 per cent inflation rate, there is a 30 per cent rise in the poverty rate, 80.5 million people are standing on the edge of the poverty line due to which 15 to 20 people are ending their lives by committing suicide daily,” he said while talking to newsmen. He said renegotiations with the IMF are needed to revise the targets and there should be a target for a 1 per cent decrease in the budget deficit and an increase in the capacity for the development budget by raising the development spending by 20 per cent.

He suggested that the salaries of government servants should be increased by 75 per cent and the government must announce a special package for the private/daily wages employees for enhancement of their salaries by their employers. The government should allocate special funds for self-employment business opportunities, enabling those who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19 to start their own small businesses.

He said that at least Rs 150 billion should be allocated for the construction of hospitals/medical centres for the treatment of COVID-19 patients and for the purchase of modern medical equipment, protective kits (PPEs) for doctors, paramedical staff, army, rangers, police and other law enforcement agencies which are on the frontline during COVID-19.

He suggested that salaries of the medical and para-medical staff be enhanced up to 75 per cent and salaries of media workers should be enhanced by 50 per cent by their respective employers. He said a special tax relief package should be given for agriculture i.e. wheat crops and livestock, dairy farming, etc to provide relief to small farmers, adding that Pakistan’s future lies in agriculture and hence farmers should be supported with good economic packages as an incentive to increase the yield and modernise agricultural farming. “The government should allocate more funds for the management of rainwater reservoirs in every district as a national water conservation programme” he added.

The PPP leader advised that special funds should be allocated for the construction of new small/mini dams in every district like in China.