Need to involve lawmakers in budget making process, says Asad Umar

Every MNA should give proposals about needs of their respective constituencies

Public representatives should be involved in the budget making process from the very beginning; in order to make it more effective and inclusive said Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) MNA Asad Umar.

Speaking at a special seminar on ‘Political Economy of Budget Making Process: A Debate’, organised by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), here on Thursday, Asad said every MNA should contribute and give proposals regarding the needs and demands of their respective constituencies.

He further added that one of the major challenges of the budget-making process is that the respective standing committees lack qualified research capacity; moreover, they have no institutional support which makes the budget-making process less potent. “There is an urgent need to strengthen the research capacity of the relevant standing committees and need to ensure involvement of all stakeholders in order to make budget-making process more inclusive”, he added. Asad suggested that the recommendations of parliamentarians during budget speeches should be duly noted and be incorporated in the budget document, finding the public’s general consensus on the matter, and accommodating their needs accordingly.



Research Uptake and Business Development Director Shakeel Ahmed Ramay on the occasion said the active and neutral involvement of various stakeholders is essential to ensure that the budget-making process incorporates public participation and public opinion. “The quality of public service delivery is influenced by allocation of the state’s budget,” he said, adding that better use of public funds and improved public service delivery can be ensured by promoting greater transparency enabling citizens to gauge the quality and effectiveness of basic services.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2018.