NA panel meeting: Dar says he never refused to give briefing

He only wants the committee to give priority to three money bills

ISLAMABAD:

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has reassured the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue of his cooperation in conducting the official business, denying that he refused to give a briefing on economic issues to the parliamentary panel.

However, he urged the committee to take up three pending money bills on priority.

Dar on Thursday wrote a letter to Qaiser Ahmad Sheikh, Chairman of the standing committee, clearing his position over the issue of briefing on the farmer package and Rs40-billion worth of revenue-generating measures.

Denying the committee a briefing “was far from truth and appears to be the result of some miscommunication,” wrote the minister.

On Wednesday, Secretary Finance Dr Waqar Masood had stated during the committee meeting that the finance minister did not agree to put the farmer package and the mini-budget on agenda.

However, Dar said he never refused to give the briefing but desired that the committee may first take up the three pending bills aimed at fast-tracking legislation that carried significant implications for the people.

Dar wrote in the letter that detailed briefings on the farmer package as well as the additional revenue measures had been given to both houses of parliament.

“Once the standing committee clears the pending money bills and it thinks it requires a briefing on the revenue measures and the farmer package, it will be arranged,” the minister said.

Dar said the government had surrendered executive powers of changing tax laws through Statutory Regulatory Orders in April last year. After that, the government is regularly approaching parliament for appropriate legislation.

As a result, the standing committee on finance is presently considering three money bills. In this context, he said, it was communicated that since detailed briefings on the two issues had already been given to parliament, the three money bills be accorded priority by the committee.

The Income Tax Amendment Bill 2016 relating to the tax amnesty scheme, The Income Tax Amendment Ordinance 2015 related to lowering the withholding tax on banking transactions and the Income Tax (Second Amendment) Ordinance 2015 related to a special tax treatment for the services sector are pending with the committee.

The National Assembly Secretariat has convened a meeting of the standing committee on Monday to take up these bills for discussion, said an official of the secretariat.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 8^th, 2016.

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