Senate unanimously approves 76 budget recommendations

ISLAMABAD: The Senate of Pakistan on Wednesday unanimously approved 76 recommendations for onward incorporation in the budget for the fiscal year 2008-09.
The recommendations were formulated by the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, which was also assisted by the State Bank of Pakistan, Federal Board of Revenue, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Federal Bureau of Statistics and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan.
Explaining the recommendations before the Upper House of the Parliament, Professor Khurshid Ahmed said the committee received 296 recommendations while the committee unanimously formulated 76 recommendations for their incorporation.
He said the recommendations should be thoroughly discussed by the concerned ministries and department; otherwise all the efforts of the committee would go futile.
He also briefed the house about the salient features of the committee report and the recommendations, which were later unanimously approved by the House.
Meanwhile, Anwar Bhinder moved a motion recommending that 17 substantive laws should not be amended through the Finance Bill and as such proposed amendments in different clauses of these Acts should be deleted.
These Acts include The Pakistan Penal Code, 1860, The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, The Provincial Employees’ Social Security Ordinance, 1965, The West Pakistan Industrial and Commercial Employment (Standing Orders) Ordinance 1968, The Securities and Exchange Ordinance 1969, The Minimum Wages for Unskilled Workers Ordinance 1969, The Workers Welfare Fund Ordinance, The Employees’ Old-age Benefits Act 1976, The Modarba Companies and Modarba Ordinance 1980, The Companies Ordinance, The Supreme Court (Number of judges) Act 1997, The Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power Act 1997, The Securities and Exchange Commission Ordinance 2000, The Insurance Ordinance 2000, The Listed Companies Ordinance 2002 and The Federal Board of Revenue Act 2007.
Anwar Bhinder said the irrelevant bills should not be made part of the Finance Bill, which should not be more than two or three pages, adding that the matter should be passed by both the Houses.
Professor Khurshid said the inclusion of irrelevant matters in Finance Bill is immoral and unconstitutional, adding that the Finance Bill should be confined to the matters regarding taxes and increase or reduction in charges.
Leader of the House Mian Raza Rabbani said the Ministry of Finance is already withdrawing five clauses including Clauses 2, 3, 13, 22 and 27 while the withdrawal of another three clauses is under consideration.
He suggested that the relevant matter has already been referred to the Privilege Committee, so it should not be pressed further.
Leader of the Opposition in the House endorsed the viewpoint of Raza Rabbani and said the withdrawal of five clauses shows that the government has supported their stance.