NWFP Assembly passes budget

The NWFP Assembly on Saturday passed the provincial budget in a very friendly and cordial atmosphere passing 50 demands for grants unanimously as voting was held on only cut motion over demand for Rs 133.919 million grant for the department of local government, elections, and rural development.
A total of 45 cut motions were decided before Senior NWFP Minister Siraj-ul-Haq tabled the Finance Bill - 2004 in the house, which also passed with majority votes after accommodation of the verbal amendments suggested by Abdul Akbar Khan of PPP-Parliamentarian in the said bill.
Opposing the bill, the PPP MPA said the bill is anti-growers, and suggested that Clause 6 should be deleted from the bill to exempt tobacco growers from the development cess on the movement of the tobacco, adding in presence of the clause they would never support the passage of such a law.
Mukhtiar Ali, an ANP MPA from district Swabi, supporting the stand of Abdul Akbar Khan, said the levy of tax on tobacco purchase centres would burden growers, which is totally unjust, and called for its withdrawal.
Habib-ur-Rehman, MMA MPA from Buner, another tobacco producing district of the province, in a bid to rescue the treasury benches from the outburst of the MPAs' opposition, said the government wants to give relief to the growers like previous year, adding the tobacco zones have been abolished.
Responding to Khan's proposed amendments, Provincial Excise and Taxation Minister Fazal Rabbani said that three zones have been abolished, and the whole province has been converted into one zone, adding the tax would be collected from only businessmen, who purchase tobacco.
Fazal Rabbani said the cess would be collected only when tobacco would go from the province, adding this step would help promote free trade with other provinces, and create business opportunity in the country. He agreed that purchase centres and warehouse should be exempted from tobacco tax.
Speaker Bakht Jehan Khan put the amended bill, which was passed by the house unanimously.
Earlier, the house passed 45 demands for Rs 49.675 billion grants, as members from opposition withdrew their cut motions after getting assurance from the minister concerned. A total of Rs 50.731 billion demands for grants were approved during two-day proceedings of the house. Voting was held on only demand for grant that was about local government and rural development.
Among the demands for grant to State Trading and Food Grain and Sugar received the highest amount of Rs 6.815 billion while debts and advance payment remained the lowest of Rs 1.5 million.
The performance of a number of departments came under fire. However, at the request of the minister concerned, members withdrew their cut motions.