ISLAMABAD: The Upper House of the Pakistan Parliament, the Senate, witnessed a mixed reaction to the budget on Friday. Treasury benches praised it as pro-people and relief-oriented, while the opposition called for a review of the tax increase on the salaried class and demanded a cut on government expenditure to provide relief to the masses already hit by inflation.
During the budget debate, Senator Raja Nasir Abbas of MWMP criticized the budget for not providing relief to the poor.
He pointed out the insufficient allocation of funds for the education and health sectors and claimed the budget lacked a future economic plan. Abbas emphasized that the problems of industries, which play a key role in the country’s exports, should be prioritized. He also warned that the increase in the petroleum levy would further exacerbate inflation.
Maulana Atta ur Rehman of JUI-F called for the budget to be more people-friendly. Sarmad Ali of PPP highlighted the severe economic crisis and limited resources the country faces, noting that over 50% of revenue collection is spent on debt servicing. He expressed concern that the proposed tax on paper would negatively impact the education and newspaper industries.
Sadia Abbasi of PML-N urged the government to review the proposed tax increase on the salaried class and provide maximum relief to the common people. She stressed that the government’s policies should be pro-people, pro-business, and pro-agriculture, and suggested controlling government expenditure.
Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur of PTI criticized the budget as pro-elite rather than pro-people. She pointed out that taxes have increased on the salaried class, particularly for grade 1-16 employees, while the elite class, including IPPs and members of Parliament, received exemptions.
She called for the government to curtail its own expenditure, starting from its own door, and welcomed the increase in minimum wages for laborers but urged for a reduction in the tax ratio.
Nasir Butt of PML-N defended the budget, describing it as people-friendly with a sizable increase in salaries and pensions despite the economic crisis. He remarked that it would take time to clear the mess created by the PTI government during 2018-2022.
Mohsin Aziz of PTI criticized the government for increasing indirect taxes instead of imposing direct taxes on the elite and wealthy. He urged the government to expand the tax base by implementing pragmatic steps.
