PESHAWAR, June 10: The provincial government’s decision to present its budget for the next financial year on June 19 has been viewed by leaders of the combined opposition in the NWFP Assembly as an attempt to get it passed without a proper debate on the proposed revenue and expenditure estimates for 2005-06 financial year.
A notification said that the budget would be presented on June 19.
The opposition bloc was of the view that the presentation of the budget on June 19 would not allow the MPAs to come up with productive and meaningful recommendations viz-a-viz budgetary proposals.
While several of the members of the provincial assembly and officials of the NWFP government, when contacted, objected to the decision of presenting the provincial budget on Sunday, leaders of the combined opposition in the NWFP assembly said the decision would not allow enough time for debate on the finance will.
The NWFP Assembly’s procedure and conduct of business rules, 1988 stipulates different stages for presenting the budget and holding discussion on it.
According to rule 139 on the day of presenting the provincial budget no debate on it can be held.
As per rule 141, two days shall elapse between the day the budget is presented and the first day allotted for the general discussion.
The rule 142 requires holding general discussion for a period not less than four days.
Leaders of the parliamentary groups of the PML-N, PML-Q and PPP objected to the move observing that the delayed tabling of the annual budget on part of the provincial government would not leave the 124 members of the assembly to discuss the budget in detail.
“It is an attempt to bulldoze the process as it clearly reflects the MMA-led provincial government’s intentions to escape from holding a meaningful debate on the budgetary matters,” said Anwar Kamal Marwat, parliamentary leader of the PML-N in the NWFP Assembly.
Similar views were expressed by Abdul Akbar Khan, parliamentary leader of the PPP; Mushtaq Ghani, parliamentary leader of PML-Q; and Pir Mohammed Khan, MPA belonging to the treasury benches.
“They should have tabled the budget on June 15 or latest by June 16 as has been the case in the past to let maximum number of MPAs to take part in the debate,” said Pir Mohammed Khan, who was recently expelled from Jamaat-i-Islami for violating the party discipline.
He said that MMA had got simple majority in the House by virtue of which it could get the budget passed without any difficulty.
Hence, it should have given ample time to the legislatures to discuss the budget.
“It would benefit the government as recommendations put forth by MPAs are to facilitate the government and it should not take benefit from their suggestions by providing them ample time to give their suggestions,” said Pir Mohammed.
Mushtaq Ghani said that the delayed presentation of the provincial budget would require the treasury benches to hold double sessions every day as the government was required to get the budget passed before June 30 — the last day of the current financial year.
“They want to present the supplementary budget for the out-going financial year on June 30 to escape MPAs’ criticism on the current fiscal year annual development programme under which huge spending has been made by the chief minister without taking into confidence even his own colleagues,” said Abdul Akbar Khan.
Apart from holding general discussion on the budget, at least for four days, the MPAs, said the opposition leaders, would need sufficient time to table their cut-motions whereas the ministers would require time to present demands for grants for their respective departments.
They said that there was no need to delay the presentation after the federal government had already tabled its budget for the next financial year as a result the provincial government was pretty clear about the funds it would receive from the centre, under various heads.
Officials of the provincial government, when contacted, also expressed ignorance about the decision of presenting the budget on June 19 instead of an earlier date.
“The government knows how much it would get from the centre during the next year and has already calculated its expenditures, hence, there does not appear any cogent reason to delay the budget,” said the official.