PESHAWAR - Terming Khyber Pakhtunkhwa fiscal budget for the year 2019-20, a deficit one, opposition parties on Saturday alleged that IMF-prepared budget would increase inflation from the existing 9 percent to 13 percent.
Talking part in debate on budget, MMA MPA Maulana Lutfur Rehman said that the KP government has presented a deficit budget of Rs85 billion. The PTI government presented IMF-prepared budget and that is why its own lawmakers also criticise it.
The KP Assembly met with Deputy Speaker Mahmood Jan in the chair. He said that it is crystal clear that the implementation of the budget would increase inflation from the existing 9 percent to 13 percent.
On her turn, the ANP’s MPA Samar Bilour said that the PTI government had extended the retirement age to 63 years, which would lessen job opportunities for youth. She said that minimum wage has been increased from Rs15000 to Rs17500 but prices of all essentials like petrol, gas, oil, ghee, sugar, etc have been multiplied.
The PPP’s Ahmad Kundi said that there is nothing special for poor people in the budget. Sardar Aurengzeb termed the KP budget was made only for five to six districts, ignoring the rest of province.
At one stage, lawmakers from southern districts including Maulana Lutfur Rehman, Mahmood Ahmad Bettani, Mian Nisar Gul Kakakhel, Sher Azam Wazir, Zafar Azam and Ahmad Kundi staged protest in front of speaker dice for ignoring southern districts in budget.
Responding to questions raised by the opposition, the KP Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Sultan Muhammad called upon opposition benches to criticise government but also acknowledge the presenting of historic budget in KP’s history.
The opposition members were intentionally criticising the achievements of provincial government, saying Rs319 billion record development budget would stablise the province economically in future, he was of the view. No new tax has been imposed. However, the salaries of the cabinet members have been cut down by 12 percent, he said.
Taking part in the debate, the KP Minister for Local Government Shahram Khan Tarakai said that they would accept suggestions from opposition. But unfortunately they (opposition) are non-serious and their aim is merely criticism. He said that 25000 teachers would be recruited across the province and about 6000 classrooms would be constructed in schools.
Besides others, Mufti Abdur Rehman and Shafiullah of PTI, Mian Nisar Gul Kakakhel and Rehana Ismail of MMA, Badsha Saleh of PPP and Sardar Khan of PMLN also spoke on budget. Later, the Deputy Speaker Mahmood Jan adjourned the proceeding till next Monday 2:30pm.