The first step, in what has been a long-standing popular demand, was taken on Tuesday when a Senate panel sought details of the defence budget.
The Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production has written to the defence ministry for a briefing on spending by the military, officials directed to schedule the meeting on October 18 told The Express Tribune.
“(The) minister for defence may brief the members of the defence committee on fiscal year 2012-13’s defence budget,” reads an official letter written by the Senate panel. A copy of the letter has also been sent to military accounts, the finance ministry and other concerned departments.
“We want accountability in the defence budget. The military should present a clear-picture of its spending,” said Senator Haji Adeel, a member of the Senate panel.
“The committee will also prepare its recommendations in light of the briefing so that there is a fair system to spend billions on defence, he added.
How much to discuss?
The defence ministry will brief the lawmakers, for the first time, on the spending of Rs545 billion, which is one-sixth of this fiscal year’s total budget. Concerned departments will also brief the committee on the additional amount provided to the military under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF).
While Rs545 billion is the stated defence budget, it does not include spending on pensions to retired military personnel, and allocations to the military from the CSF. The finance ministry is hoping to receive Rs150 billion from the US on account of CSF pledges this year. Total allocation to defence, therefore, will top Rs913billion, or 31% of next year’s Rs2.96 trillion budget.
Chairman of the Senate panel, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, has directed authorities to write to all concerned departments to be well prepared for the briefing. Officials from the General Headquarters and ministry of finance will attend the meeting.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2012.
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Why so late? Should have been from Day 1.
excellent move.. get these budgets in public, every rupee of taxpayer money spent on the luxury of these non productive institutions should be discussed. The beauty of democracy is to highlight the rot from within, and its high time we check this monster. In this country its the rule of people which should be supreme, and time to show our establishment its right spot.
@usman786: they have full power to discuss defence budget. they are rep of whole nation in parliment.all institutions including army should tell its spending.
Lack of accoutiblity has to breed corruption .
Do these politicians with vested interest, jalli degree and foreign nationality have the capacity to understand things. Mil accts are audited internally and externally and there lot of objs unlike civil admin where they deal with auditors in a different way. In army units, the obj are related to minor lapses on part of clerk/lack of financial rules knowledge- not that chain is getting commission.