Proposals: Call for budget that addresses issues on ground

Centre, provinces urged to allocate ample funds for health, education, drinking water.


Our Correspondent June 03, 2014
The government has been urged to take steps through budgetary allocations to put an end to the economic exploitation of farmers and ensure food security in the country. DESIGN-FAIZAN DAWOOD/FILE

ISLAMABAD:


Pre-budget proposals by a think-tank have called upon the government to prioritise oft-neglected areas of public importance in the upcoming federal and provincial budgets.


The Centre for Civic Education (CCE) on Monday urged decision makers to follow constitutional guidelines while making allocations for sectors such as health, education, general public security, and provision of clean drinking water.

The government has been urged to take steps through budgetary allocations to put an end to the economic exploitation of farmers and ensure food security in the country.

Taxation should focus on hotels and shopping malls that are accessible to the rich and affluent only, a proposal reads, adding that the tax collection mechanisms should be made clear and transparent.

The proposals say resources must be diverted to guarantee protection of fundamental rights as envisioned in the Constitution.

One of the proposals pertaining to the social services sector says sufficient allocations must be set aside for this sector, as it plays vital role in sustaining economic growth.

Moreover, special tax exemptions should be extended to researchers and educationists with a view to invest in the knowledge-economy sector.

The CCE also proposed raising the income tax exemption from the current Rs400,000 to Rs600,000 as a means of providing relief to the lower and middle income tiers of society.

“A complete ban must be imposed on schemes aimed to whiten black money,” the proposals state, with another stating, “By abolishing the culture of statutory regulatory orders, the tax refund system should be made transparent”.

Lamenting delays in local government elections, the CCE suggested comprehensive 20-year development plans for each district.

It also recommended to completely abolishing the culture of releasing development funds through MPs.

Proposals related to justifiable distribution of resources among the federation and provinces say that provincial finance commission should provide resources to districts for parallel development in line with multifactor formula defined in the seventh national finance commission.

It suggests that resources be doled out to districts, keeping in view the better utilisation of resources given to them in the previous financial year. They also proposed to stop diversion of funds from supplementary grants to mega developmental project, while culture of block allocation should be shunned.

“The pending population census should be carried out to ensure sufficient funding for different areas. Dialogue process must be initiated on the eighth national finance commission, which will be applicable from July 1, 2015.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2014.

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