ISLAMABAD - The Senate on Wednesday moved 92 recommendations to the National Assembly for incorporating in the Finance Bill 2015, as it proposed to increase the pays and pensions by 12.5 per cent after merging ad-hoc allowances in the basic pay.
After passage of the 18th Amendment, the Senate will have to move its budget recommendations to the National Assembly for incorporating in Finance Bill within 15 days of laid down the budget. However, it is not binding for the National Assembly for accepting their proposals, as it might turn down all of them.
The Senate had moved 92 recommendations for the Finance Bill 2015. The Senate has also proposed that medical allowance of the government employees along with pensioners should be increased by 100 percent. The minimum level of pension should be enhanced to Rs 8000 from Rs 6000. Similarly, hiring allowance may be increased for government employees and monthly payments may be made, it proposed.
The Senate has also recommended that special allocation may be made in the Budget for the martyrs of the Army Public School, Peshawar, both staff and students and this money should be disbursed at the earliest to the families, kith and kin of those who laid down their lives during the brutal terror attack of December 16, 2014. There should also be compensation for those who were wounded in the attack.
The monthly installment under the Benazir Income Support Program may be increased to Rs 1700, the Senate proposed. All the disabled persons working on contract in Pakistan may be regularised and their minimum wages may be increased by 20 percent.
It has also proposed that all international loans and economic agreements may be placed before Parliament for information. The Senate also asked that a single “Energy Ministry” be created by merging different Federal Ministries dealing with energy subject, in order to fast track actions against ongoing issues relating to energy. It has also suggested the Federal Government should provincialise all DISCOs in order to rationalize the energy cost subject to the consent of provinces through CCI.
The upper house of the parliament proposed the lower house that the Federal Government may stop forthwith load shedding of gas and electricity for industrial units. The Senate suggested to the National Assembly that import of five year reconditioned/old cars may be allowed.
The Senate has recommended the National Assembly that the advance tax of 0.6 percent on the banking transactions with a minimum threshold of Rs 50,000 (cross cheques, demand draft and pay order etc) should be applicable to the non-filers. The upper house of the parliament also asked the lower house for the withdrawal of GST on fertilizers namely Urea, DAP, NPK, Potash (SOP) and Zink which has eroded farm profitability and as such adversely affected the farming community in Pakistan.
The Senate has proposed to the National Assembly of Pakistan for the withdrawal of GST imposed on pesticides and herbicides/weedicides, which has resultantly increased the cost of production of various crops and affected the farming community in Pakistan. This has resulted increasing food insecurity and poverty in the country.
It has also recommended to impose only two percent duty on all poultry plant equipment and machinery and exemptions on sales tax be provided. The Senate recommends to the National Assembly of Pakistan for grant of subsidy on electricity tariff used for lift machines and other pumps for lifting water for agricultural purposes.
The upper house of the parliament proposed the lower house tax exemptions announced for the KPK should be extended to 30.6.2020 from 1.7.2015. The tax holiday for Balochistan should be provided as it proposed for the KPK.
The Senate has also suggested that mobile phone sets of value upto Rs 5000 may be exempt from GST. It has also asked that power should be given to the FBR to access the bank account information should be withdrawn.
The Senate recommends to the National Assembly that the Ministry of Finance may present broad parameters of the Budget in March every year and detailed budget by mid May every year in both Houses of the Parliament for pre-budget discussion. The Senate recommends to the National Assembly that midyear budget review may be made mandatory and should be done each year in the month of February in Parliament for purposeful discussion and input.
The Senate recommends to the National Assembly that a country wide programme be launched to train farmers to shift from traditional tilling and harvesting ways to mechanized farming and for this purpose an initial amount of 50 Crore rupees be allocated.
It has asked that FED on Cigarettes may be increased from 58 to 75%, as cigarettes are extremely harmful to the health of citizens.