Debate in Punjab Assembly: budget 2019-20 will focus on development: minister

Finance Minister Punjab Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht said on Monday that 2019-20 budget will focus on development while the 2018-19 budget was a corrective budget. The Minister said this while opening the pre-budget debate in the Punjab Assembly. He said former PML-N government had spent Rs 2100 billion on development out of which Rs 1000 billion was spent on 10 percent area of the province while Rs 1000 billion was spent on rest of the Punjab. He also said the government would allocate equal funds for both South Punjab and Central Punjab.
"Revamping of agriculture sector and welfare of the farmers is priority of the government. It will focus on decreasing non-development budget. It will also welcome the suggestions of opposition regarding increasing the tax net."
While responding to the speech of Opposition Leader Hamza Shahbaz in Punjab Assembly, the Finance Minister said going to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme was not a welcoming move as it was the last resort of government. He said current account deficit reached 18 billion dollars during the PML-N government. The previous government had artificially controlled rupee which caused decrease in imports.
He further said that in difficult times friendly Muslim countries Saudi Arabia and UAE promised to invest in Pakistan. "In the second phase of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), China is investing billions of rupees. It has made a joint working group in agriculture sector with Pakistan," he added. Hashim said the government had taken loan of billion of rupees for the construction of Orange Line Project and wondered as to how the same would be returned.
While starting the pre-budget discussion, Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz said that nobody knew that on what conditions the government was holding talks with the IMF. He also said that due to the delay in the talks, the rupee depreciated by 35 percent.
He said the PML-N during their tenure successfully ran the IMF programme. The growth rate during its tenure was six percent and government had also controlled inflation, he added. He said that opposition from the day one had extended its support to the government but the government did not respond positively.
In the last budget of PML-N, the annual development programme was Rs 635 billion. The PTI government cut the ADP by Rs 400 billion to Rs 238 billion out of which only 88 billion were spent. He said according to the FBR figures, tax collection had decreased as a result of which share of provinces in the NFC award would be decreased.
Hamza said former PML-N government did not stop welfare projects of the PPP and PML-Q government which included BISP and Rescue 1122. He suggested that the present government should continue welfare projects of PML-N government. He said their government had allocated billions of rupees in health and education sector besides subsidy of billions of rupees to fertilizer sector and loans to farmers.
Hamza appreciated the role of political parties during the recent tension between Pakistan and India. He said "our political parties gave the message that we are united and we are standing with our forces."
Speaker Punjab Assembly Pervez Elahi said that previous governments stopped the projects initiated during their government which includes Wazirabad Cardiac Hospital and Surgical Tower in Mayo Hospital located in the constituency of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Earlier, The Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority bill was introduced in the House.