ISLAMABAD: PILDAT held a briefing session on Tuesday in Islamabad, aimed at enhancing parliamentarians’ understanding of the budgetary process. The discussion, titled “Empowering Parliamentarians for Effective Budgetary Oversight,” provided a platform for insightful discussions and deliberations on important reforms to improve Pakistan’s parliamentary budget process.
Senators and MNAs in high attendance expressed their disappointment that despite Standing Committees submitting over 200 recommendations on Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) proposals to Ministries during the past ten years, not even one was accepted nor were reasons given for rejection, which is a violation of the National Assembly Rules of Procedure & Conduct of Business.
Members endorsed PILDAT’s suggestion for increasing the days for budget deliberation because they said that the number of budget documents cannot be adequately studied within the current time period.
Members also highlighted the need for gender analysis of the budget and the requirement for public disclosure of budgetary tracking and progress reports.
Mehboob Provides Parliamentary Budget Process Overview
Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, President PILDAT, delivering a presentation at the Briefing Session, provided an overview of the parliamentary budget process, underlining the key events including the Budget Strategy Paper, the role of Standing Committees in vetting the PSDP budgetary proposals, and the presentation of the Annual Budget Statement in the National Assembly.
He analysed the trends in the last twenty-five years, when each budget session, on average, lasted only fourteen days and less than 45 percent of MNAs participated.
He drew comparisons with India and China, and recommended 5 major changes to the budget process: the amendment in Article 84, which allows the government to authorize supplementary grants without National Assembly approval; the amendment in Public Finance Management Act 2019 to obligate the government to share BSP with Standing Committees on Finance before approval by Federal Cabinet so that Cabinet may consider Committee recommendations; the amendment in NA Rules to empower Standing Committees to review budget after its presentation in the Assembly; Review the implementation of NA Rule 201 (6) and (7) regarding PSDP review by Standing Committees in past ten years; Parliamentary Budget period should be increased from present fourteen to at least thirty and preferably forty-five days; the amendment in NA Rules to obligate the federal government to present Quarterly Reports on execution of the budget passed by the National Assembly.
