PESHAWAR, Jun 10 (APP): People from all walks of life including civil society, laborers, government employees, pensioners and economists here on Friday highly appreciated the Federal Budget 2022-23 and termed it historic and inclusive in the prevailing difficult economic situation.
PML-N leader and member provincial assembly, Ikhtiar Wali Khan told APP that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had deserved full credit and appreciation for presenting an inclusive budget in which relief was provided to all segments of the society.
He said the government had prepared a historic budget in less than two months that was enjoying support from the masses. He said repeated change of finance ministers by the PTI government has brought unnecessary changes in the country’s economic and fiscal policies, making negative effects on the national economy.
Ikhtiar Wali said that economic stability was the top most duty of the government and efforts were being made to increase exports to bring socio-economic prosperity.
He said the PTI government has taken Rs 20,000 billion loan in its last four years tenure, meaning by Rs 5,000 billion loans per year, which is 80 percent loan in the country’s history.
The economic mismanagement of Imran Khan government has plunged the country into price-hike and inflation, adding the unprecedented increase has been witnessed in prices of edible commodities during PTI government that adversely affected life of common man.
“We have to move forward with positive thinking to take the country out of existing economic challenges”, he expressed.
Muhammad Naeem, a Professor of Economics Department, University of Swabi termed the federal budget comprehensive, goal-oriented and inclusive in all respect. Despite economic challenges, he said the PML-N government has presented wide-ranging budget in which maximum relief was provided to the people of all walks of life including pensioners and government employees.
Dr Naeem said that floor was being sold at Rs 40 per KG at Utility Stores today while prices of sugar, pulses and ghee were brought down by the government. He praised the government for establishing a pension fund.
He expressed the hope that the economic situation would soon improve after the revival of the IMF program and tough economic decisions of the government. Dr Naeem said Pakistan can achieve rapid progress by promoting exports, textile and agriculture production besides controlling the current account deficit.
He appreciated the proposal of the Finance Minister to increase exports targets to the tune of 35 billion dollars and government austerity measures.
Fuad Ishaq, former President Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry while hailing the Federal Budget 2022-23, said that long hours power load-shedding has made negative effects on industrial production and expressed the hope that the PML-N government would address the problem of load shedding once for all.
Economist and financial expert, Sumbal Riaz said that allocation of Rs 525 billion for pensioners was a big relief, which would help ease their financial problems. She said the green movement program, construction of a mini sports stadium and talent hunt scheme for youth were praised as worthy steps by the government.
She lauded a proposal of the Finance Minister regarding bringing reforms in the dispute resolution mechanism to facilitate investors.
Misal Khan, a retired Information Officer while appreciating the Federal Budget, said that the government reforms for revival and proposal of films, theaters and stage programs would promote the soft image of the country besides providing healthy entertainment to the people. He said the allocation of Rs 364 billion for Benazir Income Support Program, Rs 12 billion for subsidy at the Utility Stores and bringing inflation to 11.5 percent was highly commendable.
Adnan Jalil, former Vice President Federation of Pakistan Commerce and Industry termed the budget inclusive and appreciated the government decision of granting exemption to the people with monthly income of below Rs one lakh from taxes.
APP/fam/