LAHORE: Finance Minister of Punjab, Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, revealed on Friday that the Punjab government is set to unveil the budget for the upcoming three months on March 18. Simultaneously, the previous nine-month budget will undergo ratification proceedings in the House.

Speaking to the media outside the Punjab Assembly, Mujtaba emphasised the government’s commitment to presenting the forthcoming budget while seeking ratification for the preceding budget from the House.

In response, opposition leader Rana Aftab Ahmed Khan expressed strong opposition to the approval of the interim government’s nine-month budget. He underscored concerns over the shortage of essential medicines in hospitals, contrasting it with the government’s expenditure on hospital infrastructure, such as installing tiles.

The legislative session chaired by Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan commenced one hour and thirty-five minutes behind schedule.

During the session, the Punjab government introduced six ordinances in the House. Notably, the Punjab Civil Servants Amendment (2023) was referred by the speaker to the Special Committee for further deliberation. The Police Order (Amendment) Ordinance 2023 was directed to Especial Committee 1 for review. Similarly, the Punjab Agricultural Marketing Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Ordinance 2023 and the Punjab Health Care Commission (Amendment) Ordinance 2023 were both referred to Especial Committee 1. Moreover, the Punjab Price Control of Essential Commodities Ordinance 2023 was forwarded to the Special Committee with a request for a report within two months.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024