BEFORE the end of its term, the PML-N government presented the 2018-19 federal budget. This exercise should have been left for the next government.

The tax rates were drastically reduced in a weird manner, apparently to appease the electorate on the one hand and on the other create a financial crunch for the incoming government. Since we are already in the second month of the fiscal year, the new government needs to restore the old tax rates to maintain the revenue stream. To balance the deficit budget, certain other painful measures will also be required.

The emoluments of all government employees should be revised downward by 10 per cent while those of cabinet ministers and other political appointees curtailed by half. The category and use of vehicles allowed to bureaucrats and politicians should be drastically reduced. The emoluments of employees of loss-making state owned entities reduced by 20pc as a first step towards rehabilitating them. Most of all agriculture income brought under the tax net as the exemption is being misused.

The aforesaid remedial steps would give a right signal to the public and be in consonance with the party’s narrative of abolishing VIP culture and adhering to simple lifestyle.

Kulsoom Arif
Karachi

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2018