ISLAMABAD: The PML-N may get a rare chance to present six federal budgets in its five-year constitutional term if the political situation remains normal after the announcement of its fifth budget on May 26 (Friday).

The five-year term of the current parliament comes to an end on May 31 next year, a month ahead of the completion of the financial year on June 30.

This requires that the financial arrangements for running of the country should be in place before beginning of financial year 2018-19 and transfer of power to the next caretaker set-up.

There could, therefore, be questions as to the legitimacy of the subsequent budget, whether a government at the end of its term or a caretaker government should present budget for the coming government.

A number of articles of the constitution deal with the federal budget. Article 77 demands that no tax shall be levied for the purpose of the federation except by or under authority of act of parliament. However, the Senate of Pakistan does not have the powers to consider a money bill, although it can make recommendations.

Article 80 of the Constitution states that: “The federal government shall, in respect of every financial year, cause to be laid before the National Assembly, a Statement of the Estimated Receipts & Expenditures of the Federal Government for that year, in this part referred to as the Annual Budget Statement (ABS)”.

This article requires that the (a) ABS “shall show separately the sums required to meet expenditure described by the constitution as expenditure charged upon the federal consolidated fund and (b) the sums required to meet other expenditures proposed to be made from the federal consolidated fund”.

“If everything goes normal, we will formulate and present the next budget too,” Finance Minister Ishaq Dar told Dawn.

He said the budget (for 2018-19) could be pulled down to early May next year in view of the fact that Ramazan would also move 10 days ahead around May 18.

In that case, it will be the first elected government in the country’s 70-year history to present six federal budgets in single term.

Earlier, the PML-N could not go beyond three budgets in its past two tenures.

He said the next budget (2018-19) would need to be announced at the start of May and get it approved from the parliament before end of that month as the caretaker government could not have this right.

He, however, hastened to add that all this is circumstantial.

He agreed the term of the current parliamentary term would last until May 31, 2018 and the caretakers would not present the federal budget, more so because there would be no National Assembly to pass it and make the finance bill effective on July 1, 2018.

The next government and the parliament could become functional by August at the earliest when the first quarter of the year would already be lapsed and not a penny out of public money could be spent without approval of the parliament.

Senator Salim H Mandviwala, finance minister during the last PPP term, said the term of current government would expire on June 4, 2018. The current government should prepare the next budget which should be announced by the next government, he said. “We prepared the 2013 budget and PML-N announced it,” he added.

However, given the fact that there would be a three-month gap between the two elected governments and assembly would not be there, the current government would have the opportunity to present budget before going out, the PPP senator said.

Secretary Information Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf Shafqat Mahmood also shared similar views.

Speaking strictly in accordance with the constitution, the current government would have the opportunity to present next budget if they want the house to go till the end, he said.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2017