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| June 24, 2003 | Tuesday | Rabi-us-Sani 23,1424 |
Zakat, Ushr to replace tax system: Siraj
PESHAWAR, June 23: NWFP finance minister Sirajul Haq has asked the opposition groups to extend a helping hand to the government in its efforts for procuring the provincial dues from the federal government.
Winding up debate on the NWFP budget, which continued interminably for four days, he also announced that the government was considering introducing a Zakat and Ushr system in place of the existing tax system.
“The government will soon conduct a provide-wide survey and prepare a final report on the implementation of the new tax system,” he added.
He welcomed what he called “constructive criticism” by the opposition parties, and assured them that the government would accommodate their proposals in the execution of schemes.
He said the payment of net hydel profit, in the light of the A.G.N. Qazi formula, was necessary for the development of the province. It was a unanimous demand of the entire house, and the federal government should pay Rs309 million to the province, he added.
He said some of the MPAs from the opposition and the treasury had termed it an “unbalanced document”, which was not right. He was of the view that the MMA government had focused, for the first time, on backward areas, and put them on a priority list.
Speaking on the budget plan, he said the government had allocated 50 per cent for the development schemes, 25 per cent for the backward areas, and 25 per cent for the provision of infrastructure in the social sector.
He said the government fully agreed with the contents of a house resolution, demanding an end to the property tax, arms licence fee and motor-vehicle tax. The government would withdraw all such taxes gradually, he added.
He said the MMA government considered World Bank a financial forum, and not a political or ideological body, so it would seek the bank’s assistance in social and economic sectors. “We have discussed many issues with the bank’s officials on their arrival in Peshawar,” he added.
He said he would meet the MMA leadership, Federal Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, and request them to apprise Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali of the financial demands of the NWFP.
Mr Haq admitted that he did not consult with politicians, traders, newsmen, and other segments of society on the budget. It was his keen desire to seek their guidance, but he couldn’t owing to shortage of time, he said.
He said the government had tried to allocate maximum funds for the development of Peshawar, but some of the MPAs complained that the government had ignored the provincial capital. The government had given a women university and a women college to the city, Mr Haq added.
Earlier, Syed Zahir Shah of the PPP criticized the government for not allocating funds for drinking water schemes, parks, roads and traffic management in the city. He declared that he would not take salary and other allowances till funds were allocated for the city.
Zar Gul of the PML (Q) lauded the government for including his Kala Dhaka area in the annual development programme. But MMA’s Pir Mohammad Khan from Shangla criticized the government for ignoring his constituency.
Tariq Khattak of the PPP stressed the need for re-structuring of government departments to get them freed from the old corrupt habit and venal practices.
MMA’s women MPAs Aftab Shabbir, Yasmin Khan, Nargas Zain and PML (N)’s Imtiaz Sultan Bukhari termed the budget a balanced one.
MMA’s elderly MPA from Nowshera, Maulana Mujahid al-Hussaini, said it was the first budget that was not prepared under the World Bank and IMF dictates. “The centre has compounded our financial constraints by not paying provincial dues. Otherwise, it was a good budget,” he observed.
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