PTI’s Budget 2020-2021 Ignored Essential, Public Relief Sectors – Shehbaz
PMLN President and National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif has strongly criticised the budget 2020-2021 for ignoring essential and public relief sectors.
In a statement Shehbaz said there is nothing for the poor and working class in the budget. Where are the development spending and the PSDP which is supposed to generate employment and progress. He said an increase in the PSDP and development spending was crucial to reduce unemployment and poverty in the country.
The National Assembly Opposition Leader pointed out that after slashing published sector development programmes in its first budget, the PTI government has further reduced by Rs 150 billion from Rs 701 billion to Rs 650 billion. The public safety net programs too have been cut from Rs 245 billion to 230. He said when the country is battling a pandemic, a cut in public safety net spending does not make any sense.
He warned that the coming year will be even more financially difficult and tough. The government is claiming it will collect Rs 1050 through taxes but has not shared how it will achieve that steep target, he questioned.
“I’m warning the nation once again that a mini-budget by this government is inevitable. The PTI is trying to scapegoat their incompetence and failures on covid-19. But the truth is that Pakistan’s exports had faller by 2.6 percent”, he said.
Shehbaz said the dent if 6.9 percent in cotton production means textile exports will also dip. On the other hand large scale manufacturing has fallen by 7.8 percent but the government has announced no measures to address these issues. The PMLN President said there is a reduction and rebate in tax and duties to boost large scale manufacturing growth.
