LAHORE PPP leaders have said that economy of the country is progressively on the upsurge despite the fact that the government is faced with a number of serious challenges on internal and external fronts. The government has taken positive steps to boost up the economy. In one of them is to streamline the tax system which in Pakistan is procuring minimum revenue as compared to other countries for the reason of tax evasion, corruption in the department and assorted manipulations, said PPP Punjab Finance Secretary Aurengzeb Burki, Muhammad Saleem Moghal, and others while taking to journalists here Tuesday. They said that Pakistan could become aid giving country in case everyone paid tax honestly and with a view to the serve the country by that means. They said a national policy was needed to be framed to bring into the tax net those who previously were not paying anything to the national exchequer despite huge income. They said that President Zardari had especially directed the budget economists to keep the welfare and financial condition of the layman in view while preparing budget for the next fiscal year. They said the budget would also envision maximum decrease in non-development and unnecessary expenditure and no monetary slashing would be made in the outlay of the army and other agencies performing functions of security and the sensitive nature. They said the volume of the next fiscal budget had been estimated at Rs 2480 billion against expenditure of Rs 2927 billion and income of Rs 2160 billion with deficit of Rs763 billion. They said that under the NFC Award Rs 1036 billion would be given to the provinces while Rs 246 billion to counter terrorism and Rs 448 billion for defence and Rs40 billion had been earmarked for giving raise to the civil servants in their salaries. They said the budget was going to allocate Rs 90 billion for the Benazir Income Support Programme, Rs 8 billion for Baitul Maal and Rs 76 billion for pension to the retired and army persons and Rs 27 billion for subsidy on electricity. Medical team leaves for Hunza A team comprising as many as 20 doctors of Jinnah Hospital and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and the paramedics Tuesday left for Hunza to provide medical aid to the affectees of Attabad Lake. The team will serve the affected people like they treated the displaced people of Swat earlier, Special Secretary Health Punjab Abdullah Khan Sumbal said while talking to media men before seeing off the medical team at Directorate General Health Office. Dr Mubashar Malik, Additional Director Health (HQ) will head the team comprising physicians, paediatricians, gynaecologists, Women Medical Officers, Medical officers and paramedical staff.