Demanding scrutiny: Govt fails to introduce reforms in budget-making process

Report says NA used only 17 days to pass the Federal Budget 2011-2012, while India used 75.

ISLAMABAD:

The coalition government led by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has failed to introduce reforms in the budget making process during the last four years.

This was pointed out by an analytical report of Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development’s (PILDAT) “Citizen Report - Performance of the 13 National Assembly of Pakistan Budget Session 2011-2012”.

The report highlighted that the 13th National Assembly (NA) utilized a dismal 17 working days from presentation to debate and passage of the Federal Budget 2011-2012. In neighbouring India the parliamentary budget process spans over 75 days.

The report said that it has also been repeatedly suggested that once the budget is presented, the NA should have an increased duration to review it and the demands for grants for ministries should be referred to the respective standing committees for scrutiny before the budget is passed. “This key reform in the parliamentary budget process, however, remains elusive,” the report added.

The reports noted that the NA has not initiated a pre-budget session while the Punjab Assembly has changed its rules and been holding pre-budget sessions for three years to seek legislators’ input into budget priorities.

Unlike the practice in other developing as well as mature parliamentary democracies, standing committees in Pakistan are not allowed any role to scrutinise department-related estimates or demands for grants and therefore no meaningful input is made in the budget, the report added.

In 2008-09 budget session, a total of 229 members participated in the budget debate whereas only 139 members participated during the 2011 budget session. The dwindling number of participants may be indicative of the waning interest of members in the budget debate. The budget session is considered by many Members of Parliament (MPs) as a mere formality and that they do not get to make significant contributions to the budget.

The reports stated that the treasury benches consumed 22.5 hours or 64% of the total allotted time, while opposition members spoke for 12.5 hours or 36% of the allotted time in budget debate.

Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) members utilised almost twice as much time warranted by their numbers, as compared to members of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazlur Rehman (JUI-F). A decrease of 4% was also witnessed in the time used by opposition members in the 2011-12 budget session, compared to 2008-09.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2011.