Budget debate: ‘Tax measures to trigger new wave of inflation’

PESHAWAR: Lutfur Rehman, a leader of Jamiat Ulema Islam –Fazal (JUI-F) said that the implementation of the budget would increase inflation from the existing 9 per cent to 13 per cent. He forecasted dim chances of the spending of Rs 100 billion on merged districts.

In his speech in KP assembly, the JUI-F leader said that the KP government has presented a deficit budget of Rs 85 billion and alleged the PTI government moved to International Monitoring Funds (IMF) to create the provincial budget.

The opposition lawmakers also protested in front of speaker dice that the Southern districts were ignored in the allocation of funds in the budget.

Samar Bilour of ANP said that it is deficit budget as out of the total Rs 900 billion, Rs 668 billion have been transferred from the federal government. Samar said that the government has extended the retirement age to 63 years that that would deprive youth of employment opportunities.

She said that minimum wage has been increased from 15000 to 17500 but prices of all essentials like petrol, gas, oil, ghee, sugar, etc have been multiplied. She said that despite the claims of recruiting 21000 teachers a lot of primary schools were still without a sweeper.

Earlier when the session began, Provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Sultan Muhammad urged opposition benches criticized the government but also acknowledge the presenting of the historic budget in the history Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Responding to the questions of opposition members during the budget debate, he said that Rs 319 billion of record developmental budget has been presented that would stabilize the province economically in future.

Minister for Local Government Shahram Khan Tarakai said that they will accept the suggestions of opposition. But, he said that unfortunately they are not 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.

He said that Rs 820 million has been allocated for the treatment of cancer and huge with another amount has been also allocated for the construction 500 playgrounds.  He said that a special budget has been allocated for the cleaning and development of the provincial capital.