ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers in the Upper House expressed mixed opinion on the federal budget for 2016-17 on Wednesday and demanded more development projects for less developed areas.
Resuming debate on the budget for third day, they were of the view that the government should overcome unemployment, inequality in resources distribution and regional disparity in terms of development initiatives. Senator Osman Saifullah Khan of Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) said that currently there were three major challenges to the country’s development including unemployment, inequality and regional disparity in terms of development schemes and funds allocations. But unfortunately the budget did not highlight two areas of inequality and regional disparity, he added.
He said that pace of economic growth was going at a snail’s pace but the workforce of youth population was growing steadily. He also said that unemployment issue was due to low investment which had not received any impetus over the last couple of years. Abdul Qayyum of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) appreciated the government for announcing pro-poor and pro-firendly budget and said that it would go a long way in extending relief to common man. He added that when the government took charge, there were several challenges to the national economy including energy crisis, revival of economy and militancy was a blow to the country’s development.
Now the government had succeeded in addressing these challenges and there was light at the end of tunnel, he said. He also said that economic indicators were gradually increasing and several power projects were planned to end energy crisis and he hoped that load shedding would end by 2018. Lt Gen. Abdul Qayyum said that due to prudent economic polices the country’s economic condition had improved and economic growth was gradually going up. He added that if anybody doubted the figures, then concrete proof and arguments should be provided, establishing opinion on the basis of just hearsay of TV anchors or economic experts was not wise, at all. He said that inflation rate was gradually going down, investment and remittance had increased, adding construction of CPEC was reflecting the credibility of investors in the government’s economic policies.
