Provincial Cabinet during its meeting here on Monday approved the important document of Budget Strategic Paper for the financial year 2016-17, aiming at to inform all relevant departments regarding financial position, to make the next fiscal budget as per their set priorities. Briefing the media persons regarding decisions after the meeting of provincial cabinet chaired by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, held at provincial cabinet room, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister Public Health Engineering, Shah Farman said that the meeting had approved the budget strategic paper for financial year 2016-17, saying that the paper is an important document, which would present a comprehensive sketch of the upcoming fiscal year budget.
The minister said that the deletion of clause 147 and 148 in limitation Act 1908, which was declared unconstitutional by a high court bench of Bannu in 2012. He said the provincial ministry of law and parliamentary affairs had sent for legal opinion from the Council Islamic Ideology of Pakistan (CIIP) whether the clauses are contradictory to Islamic laws or not. According to the CIIP, the clauses have been against the Islamic principles.
He said the provincial cabinet directed the authorities concerned to provide details of all self-employment schemes to provincial department of Planning and Development. The meeting was informed that only two persons were included, which were availed loans from the scheme, but later passed away.
The minister said according to clause 7 of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Act 1990, the professional tax was imposed on those people who were associated with various professions and trade. He said the National Assembly under clause 163 of the constitution of the country, has authorised to determine the maximum limit of the professional tax. He said the professional tax has been exceeded from Rs 50,000 to Rs 100,000. Therefore, he said Inter-Provincial Co-ordination Committee (IPCC) stated that professional tax relating to provinces, so with consent of all of finance divisions of federating units, should fix maximum limit of professional tax Rs 500,000. So, he said in the initial phase, the provincial cabinet has approved the increase.
Following the approval by National Assembly, the Minister said the increase would also be approved by the provincial assembly, after which the provincial government would decide the increase in professional tax in the province. The provincial cabinet has approved the recommendations relating to effective utilisation of royalty of Oil and Gas, in the producing districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said during the meeting a report of the committee for stabilisation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission was presented and approved various recommendations of the committee following the details discussion. He said the provincial cabinet also approved the amendments to Galyat Development Authority Act 1996.