The annual budget is not something that ordinary citizens look to with any degree of optimism or hope.
RAWALPINDI: This is with reference to Khurram Husain’s article of June 2 titled “Budget? What budget?”. First aid and loans from the US, the Saudis, the EU and other donors such as Japan is added up. This is followed by taking and adding projected loans and assistance from the IMF, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. Then all the other unearned revenue is added and from this projected total expenditure is deducted. This balance is then the revenue target for the forthcoming fiscal year.
Of course, all of the aid and assistance comes with conditions attached and that partly explains why the government is so limited in what it can do with the whole budget-making exercise, as in there is no scope for innovation. As for important issues like broadening the tax net, punitive action against those who don’t pay their taxes or even the simple and straightforward measure of bringing agriculture income in the tax net, are all conveniently ignored. No wonder the annual budget is not something that ordinary citizens look to with any degree of optimism or hope.
S Khalid Husain
Published in The Express Tribune, June 4th, 2011.
