NA session on finance bill adjourned without vote – Business

Finance


A session of the National Assembly to discuss the Finance (Supplementary) Bill, 2023, generally known as the mini-budget, was adjourned on Friday without a vote on the crucial tax amendments necessary for reviving a stalled International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme and averting the threat of default.

The session will now resume on Monday at 5pm.

Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf chaired the session, during which lawmakers criticised the government for increasing the burden on the poor by hiking taxes.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had presented the bill in both houses of parliament on Wednesday as the government rushed to fulfil the IMF’s conditions for the release of a desperately needed bailout.

The finance bill outlines tax measures to raise an additional Rs55 billion in the next four and half months to meet the last prior actions agreed upon with the IMF.

During the session today, PPP’s Qadir Khan Mandokhail urged the government to decrease the burden on the poor and instead hike taxes on luxury cars and houses.

Meanwhile, MQM-P’s Salahuddin criticised Dar for being “non-serious” about the difficult conditions the country was facing. “If we are allied with you today, it is only to prevent default and lift the country out of the economic crisis.

“The rupee has depreciated; petrol, electricity and gas were already expensive. These bombs had already been dropped on the public. And then our finance minister dropped another bomb on Feb 15.”

MNA Saira Bano from Grand Democratic Alliance also lashed out at the government for the increase in taxes, saying that it was impossible for common people to meet their essential needs due to inflation.

PTI MNA Mohammad Afzal Khan Dhandla emphasised the need to focus on agriculture and population control. He called for strengthening public transport and reducing car imports.

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