Senators want say in finance bill tweak

Upper house adopts two reports on circular debt and general polls 2018

ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Tuesday continued its discussion on the mini-budget and demanded that its relevant recommendations should be accommodated in amendments in the Finance Bill 2018 to be taken up by the National Assembly for passage in the coming days.

Constitutionally, the Senate has no role in the passage of budget or finance bill. Even though, the upper house extensively debates the budget and devises its relevant recommendations, it is the prerogative of the finance minister either to accept the Senate’s recommendations or reject them completely or partially. The finance bill is only moved in the lower house of parliament for passage.

Tuesday’s Senate session was presided over by Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani. The upper house adopted two key reports related to circular debt and general elections 2018 that were presented in the house in recent days.



Earlier on Monday, Convener Special Committee on Circular Debt and Leader of the House in Senate Shibli Faraz presented report on circular debt which held the mismanagement of the former federal government, coupled with lack of plan and workable strategy, as responsible for the unabated accumulation of the circular debt which has now crossed Rs1.2 trillion.

On December 19, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior Senator Rehman Malik presented in the Senate his report on general elections held on July 25. The report recommends the formation of a parliamentary committee to probe allegations of alleged foul play in the general polls.

Both Shibli and Malik’s reports were adopted by the upper house on Tuesday.



The house also took up a calling attention notice moved by Senator Kulsoom Parveen related to the charging of fees by the private schools in Islamabad Capital Territory during the summer vacations.

The Senate demanded of the federal government to take action against also those schools who were charging hefty fees.

The upper house also discussed another calling attention notice moved by Senator Mohsin Aziz related to poor quality of construction of the building structure of newly constructed Islamabad International Airport.

The house would meet again today (Wednesday).