Budget debate in Sindh PA: MQM lawmakers for steps to stop relocation of industrial units

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Tuesday expressed concerns over the ailing textile industry, urging the government to step up to stop fast relocation of manufacturing units to other countries and extend incentives to the existing local investors.
With Deputy Speaker, Shehla Raza, in the chair, the Sindh Assembly resumed its budget debate for the forth day, as seven lawmakers expressed their views and set forth suggestions to the government to improve the financial plan. A lady legislator of MQM, Naheed Begum, raised a number of issues in her speech, which the province is suffering from and recommended remedies to fast shifting of industrial units to other countries due to power shortage.
She showed fears over the relocation of industrial units to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka because of electricity shortage, as other countries are offering a conducive business environment to them to pour their investments there. "Cost of manufacturing has soared," she feared, saying the textile and fertiliser sectors are in deep troubles.
On one hand power riots continue in the country while on the other people are resorting to committing suicides because of multiple issues including shortage of key utilities and jobs, she added. She urged the government to tax every kind of income no matter through what source the wealth is generated.
She said the country has only two percent of taxpayers to contribute to the national revenue, adding that the base of taxation has to be broadened to subdue scores of key problems hitting the economy. Naheed Begum showered praises on the government for proposing an increase in quota of employment for women of the province, saying it is higher by percentage in any of the four provinces. But, she urged the government to implement its fiscal budget in real terms to benefit the public.
The lady lawmaker also invited the government's attention towards the key social issues which women face in the province including violence and acid attacks, saying despite the law in place, the menace continued to spoil the females for lack of protection. Regarding the budgetary uplift package for Sukkur, she said it is insufficient in face of multiple problems of the city and urged the government to increase the allocation with a view to solve public problems aptly and permanently. Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) lawmaker, Nadeem Bhutto urged the government to increase the allocation from Rs 100 million to Rs 1,000 million to set up the much needed solar tube-well system in the agriculture area of Sindh. He hoped the solar tube-wells will help overcome water shortage as well. He also spoke about the fast degradation of environment in the province and wanted the government to play its role in this regard.
About poor law and order situation in Karachi, he said it is not the government's responsibility alone to look after the security of public rather the entire society has to play it role to defeat the outlaws and restore peace to the metropolis. National Peoples Party's (NPP) lawmaker, Masroor Khan Jatoi, proposed the government to set up educational complexes in the province instead of spreading schools network. He was of the view the integrated schools compound will help overcome illiteracy.
He said the number of schools is now greater than the number of qualified teachers to impart education to children, adding that the proposed complex should offer academic sessions from class one to class 10 for different cities students at the same place.Masroor Jatoi hoped the problems of education system will start reducing with establishing of the complex. He also pointed out to the problems in the watercourses and suggested lining of canals in line with the ones successfully made in India, which will help reduce wastage of water and facilitate the farmers to irrigate their crops properly.
He suggested the government should set up a drip water irrigation system to increase the level of available stream to crops. The NPP's lawmaker also called upon the government to exploit fully the Thar coal reserves for generating electricity not only for the province but also for the entire nation. He said floods in the past have badly damaged the Noushero Feroz city and urged the government to allocate Rs 500 million for reconstruction of the Moro city's run-down infrastructure. He lauded the government's efforts to focus on education development and other infrastructure uplift projects in the province.
MQM's provincial minister for industries, Rauf Siddiqui urged the government to increase its focus on education development and allocated huge amount to produce a better-qualified nation for the future. He said the government should also focus the development of agriculture sector, which is the economic backbone of the province, adding that there should be scores of agriculture universities to help the nation produce better yield and generate locally modified seeds.
He said how long the country would remain dependent on foreign researches on agriculture and their genetically produced seeds. The focus should now shift to local production of seeds, he said. Rauf pointed out that peace in the city was necessary to attract investment in businesses and manufacturing sectors, saying only those will pour their wealth to build trade and commercial set-ups who will find peace.
PPP's legislator, Sardar Ahmed Ali Khan Pitafi, clamoured over the 'injustices' against him, saying his son's killers are at large despite his party is in power. He said after the assassination of former chairperson Benazir Bhutto, the party's workers are hapless, adding that when the ruling party's lawmaker failed to get justice for his slain son then who else could benefit from the political dispensation. He also showed concerns over the deteriorating law and order situation in the province. PPP's Sajid Jokhio also expressed his views on budget. Later, the house was adjourned till Wednesday morning.